Friday the Thirteenth - A Night at Camp
by Yunorok
Summary: A group of high school students go to Camp Crystal Lake to prepare for the summer visitors. However, what was planned to be a simple time for easy preparations and getting to know each other quickly turned into a bloodbath at the return of Jason. This is actually based off the game, but there was only a movie category.
1. Chapter 1

**Friday the Thirteenth**

 **Chapter 1**

Deborah Kim wasn't quite ready for the weeks ahead of her. She had never had many interests outside of academics, and therefore, had found herself living most of her high school career with only a small clique of friends.

However, with college approaching, she had heard that all the good schools looked at more than just one's good grades. They wanted to see that a girl was well-rounded. That she could hit the books and the basketball court just the same. They wanted to see that she was interested in her own future as well as the future of those younger than her. It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that Deborah had done what she had hoped she'd never have to do. She had signed herself up as a camp counselor at Camp Crystal Lake.

The idea was ludicrous to her. She couldn't believe she had done it. She stood in front of the bulletin board by the high school's office staring at the sign up sheet. Her name was written very neatly across the registration line. _Deborah Kim._

"Seriously?" Came a familiar voice. Deborah snapped out of her thoughts at the sound. She looked to find the source. It was her best friend Carrie. "You're signing up as a camp counselor?"

"Yeah. Why not?" Deborah asked, feigning ignorance. She knew full-well why Carrie was surprised. She'd never even been to camp, so why on earth would she be a counselor?

"Have you ever even been in the woods?" Carrie asked. Deborah opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. "Other than to catch those butterflies for your science exhibit freshman year..." Deborah's mouth shut. She couldn't think of a time she'd really ventured into 'the great outdoors' for anything other than school work. She hated nature. The bugs. The dirt. The pollen. It was all so disgusting.

"No, but I'm a fast learner."

"Can't argue there." Carrie rolled her eyes. "You're desperate to get into a good school, huh?"

"It's my whole future, Carrie." Deborah explained. "I have to be serious about it."

"You're the smartest girl I know." Carrie praised. "You'll get in anywhere you want."

"Well, this'll help."

As classes went by, Deborah couldn't focus. All she could think about was camp next week. Today was the last day of school for her junior year. Most kids were excited, but not her. She envisioned herself at camp. She'd stand there in her jeans and sweatshirt, her thick framed glasses resting properly on the bridge of her nose, and her brown hair put up in a sloppy ponytail. She sighed to herself. She was not the ideal camp counselor. Everything she knew about being a leader at camp suggested you needed to be fit. Strong. Athletic. She was none of those things. She was a five-foot-nothing book nerd. If you wanted her to fix your computer, your car, your phone, your whatever...great! She could do that. She loved machines and working with her hands. You wanted her to run, swim, chop wood, or whatever else a camp counselor did? Good luck...

The bell rang and kids stampeded out of class, eager to begin their summer vacation. Deborah Kim walked out of honors calculus with her shoulders slumped and her head hung low. This was going to be the worst. A whole week surrounded by annoying kids, preppy girls and jock boys, as well as nature. Nothing sounded fun about this. But at least it would look good on her college applications.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kenny Riedell was exhausted. He was hired by Camp Crystal Lake to be the head counselor this year. He had been a counselor with them for the last couple years, but now that he was eighteen, he could be the head counselor. He was a bit surprised he had gotten the gig. He knew he was competing with Chad Kensington over the position, and since Chad's mother had such an influence over the entire town, Kenny figured she'd pull some strings to get her son the position.

It wouldn't have bothered Kenny that much had Chad gotten the position. While they certainly weren't best friends, they'd been counselors at Camp Crystal Lake together for more than one year now, and they were classmates at school, and they got along pretty well. However, Kenny did see himself more fit for the job. He was a handier guy, good with kids, easy going, bigger, stronger, and whatever else you might expect with a camp counselor. He just fit the bill better. Chad was more of a preppy guy. He dressed too well to want to get dirty and he stressed out too easily when things didn't go just right.

Kenny's first day on the job had not been a good one. He was the only person in the entire camp. He was solo and he had taken full advantage of the fact that there wasn't another soul around for miles. He started the day off by skipping a shower and going skinny dipping in the lake instead. After that, he sun dried without even worrying about someone seeing him. There was something really freeing about streaking in the woods.

However, once he was done with his fun he got to work. He had donned a pair of athletic shorts and started preparing things for the campers to arrive, though they would arrive after the rest of the counselors who were scheduled to show up in the next couple days. Kenny did know that Chad was supposed to arrive sometime in the afternoon. Kenny looked at the sun in the sky. It was in the afternoon. Chad could be there any minute, but he generally was late to things.

The preparations for camp were tough. He had no idea how much happened between last year's camp to this year's. The boat was broken, for one. He had thought it would be wise to put it back in the boathouse so that none of the campers would get the brilliant idea to take it out one night, but the tank was empty and the propeller was missing. He couldn't believe it. Who steals a propeller off a boat?

He also had noticed that the phone wasn't working, but he hadn't solved that yet. He had no idea what was wrong. While he did know how to fix a car and such, he would never have considered himself a mechanic. He was just a typical jack of all trades.

On top of that, there was an abandoned car in the woods. It was unsightly and definitely not supposed to be there, but there was no way he could move it. There were keys in the car, but when he tried to start it, it wouldn't turn over. Checking the car over, he realized that not only was the gas tank empty, the battery was missing as well.

As if all these strange problems weren't enough, he still had to clear the dirt paths for the kids to walk on, set up and clean the picnic tables, restock the maps in the bulletin board at each camp sit, clean the cabins, make the beds, and finish up all the administrative tasks. It was overwhelming. It was for that reason that Kenny was actually kinda' glad that Chad was arriving earlier than he was supposed to.

With a loud sigh, Kenny ran his hand over his broad, hairy chest and cringed. He was so sweaty and smelly, it was disgusting. He decided it was probably a good idea to clean himself up before Chad arrived. He was such a clean and proper guy. Kenny didn't think he'd appreciate the stink of a hardworking man immediately upon his arrival. Praying that the plumbing worked properly, he made his way over to the showers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Have a great time, sweetie!" His mother blew him a kiss as she dropped him off at the administrative building of Camp Crystal Lake.

"Thanks, mom." Chad Kensington smiled as he wished his mother farewell for the week. He and his mom had always been close, especially after his father had died. It was a sore spot in their family history, but his mother and he had coped as well as possible.

She drove off in her shiny corvette. She had always liked sports cars, and since the passing of Chad's father, she could afford them. Students had always sneered at Chad or been jealous of his family's wealth, but what they never considered, was that his family was only wealthy due to the insurance money they had received from his father's passing and the wisdom of his mother's best friend in investing. Everyone always seemed to overlook the tragedy he had to endure to be wealthy. He'd trade all the money in the world to get his dad back, but that just wasn't an option.

Chad walked into the administrative building and looked around. The lights were off. Where was Kenny? He was hoping he would be waiting for him so he could carry his bags. Chad wasn't the strongest guy on the block. He was a good looking guy. He had well-defined muscles from running and swimming, a handsome face, gorgeous eyes, and perfect blonde hair. Despite his appearance, though, he wasn't tough. He wasn't strong. He certainly wasn't unable to carry some weight, but he never considered himself a strong guy. Kenny was always the tough one and he usually offered to carry Chad's bags. A gesture that Chad appreciated very much.

With a bit of disappointment, Chad lifted his heavy bags. He figured he really needed to learn to pack more like Kenny and just bring a couple outfits. But he couldn't. The thought of reusing the same underwear, or worse, not wearing any at all as he knew Kenny did sometimes, was too disgusting. He'd rather deal with the big bag.

Walking out of the building, Chad took in the beauty of Camp Crystal Lake. The sun was out and scorching his skin. The trees stood still and mighty all around him. The birds sang and danced in the air. And, his favorite part, he enjoyed the sound of the waves of Crystal Lake lapping against the shore. Despite what the student body at high school thought about him, he really liked the outdoors. Sure, he didn't like spiders, snakes, or dirt, but overall, he loved the woods.

As he headed to the cabin that he knew he and Kenny would be staying in, he heard the shower in the counselors' shower-house running. He placed his bags by the door and walked in.

"Kenny?" He hollered over the sound of water hitting the concrete floor.

"Yeah?" Came the deep voice of the head counselor.

"I'm coming in." Chad announced. He turned the corner around the partition that stopped outsiders from seeing into the large communal shower as they walked by, and spotted Kenny.

"Hey." Kenny said as he waved to Chad, his body covered in soap suds. Chad smiled and waved back. It amazed him. Every year it seemed like Kenny got bigger. They'd been in the same class since first grade, though they'd never been close friends, they'd always been pals. He knew Kenny well. He had watched as Kenny had gone from the tallest and biggest boy in class, to being big-time the tallest and biggest boy in class. Now, he looked as Kenny's stature continued to grow larger, dwarfing Chad's quite small frame even more.

Kenny had always been very handsome, but in a different way than Chad. Chad knew he was a good looking guy. He was a classy, preppy, guy, and the girls loved him. At least, they liked his looks. Whether or not they liked his personality was whole different story. Kenny was different. He was more of the raw, barbaric, kind of man. He was deep voiced, dark hair covered him from head to toe, and he was big. Very big. The girls loved him too, but they loved him for his looks _and_ his personality, but he never seemed to notice them.

Chad knew why Kenny never paid any attention to the girls. His eyes were for one girl and one alone, but he was too shy to make a move. It was so strange, that such a confident man would be so meek over a girl. Chad mentally shrugged. Everyone's different.

"Have a long day?" Chad asked, making sure to stay far enough away as to not get splashed by Kenny's unabashed bathing.

Kenny rinsed the soap off of himself casually before turning and facing Chad again. "Yeah." He said with an exhausted laugh. "You'd never believe all the problems I ran into."

"Good thing I'm here." Chad smiled.

"No kidding. I could use the help."

"What's the problem?"

Kenny sighed and turned off the water. "First, the boat." He started, as he headed over and sat on the wooden bench near Chad. "The propeller's missing as well as the gas. I'd like to put it away so the kids don't get tempted to take it out. Plus, there's an abandoned car, the phone's not working, and the cabins need cleaned and prepared." Kenny placed his head in his hands. "I thought this job was going to be easier than this."

Chad placed a small hand on Kenny's large, muscled shoulder. "We'll get it taken care of." He smiled. He couldn't believe himself. He was never this friendly with people, but for some reason, he had always felt close to Kenny, even though neither of them would say they were good friends. After his dad died and Chad's personality had taken a shift for the worse, Kenny was the only one that didn't start treating him differently. In fact, Kenny was one of only two students from his entire school that had attended his father's funeral. Maybe they were closer than Chad realized.

"Let's go get something to eat, then we'll get to work." Kenny said standing up. He stood before Chad and Chad simply couldn't believe it. It was like Kenny had hit another growth spurt. He found himself standing level with the bottom of Kenny's chest.

"Sure." Chad agreed, looking up at his large friend. "Where are your clothes? Or a towel?"

Kenny blushed. "I didn't bring them. I thought I'd beat you back to the cabin and wouldn't need anything."

Chad rolled his eyes. "You're such a brute." They both laughed. "And for forcing me to see you naked for way longer than I should ever have to, you're carrying my bags."

Kenny smiled. "Always."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Deborah's parents dropped her off at the front of Camp Crystal Lake with nervous, but excited faces. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Her mother asked.

"Yeah, you certainly don't have to. We won't be mad." Her dad added.

"Yes. I need it for my college applications." She gave a nervous smile. "Besides, I'll be fine." With those words, she gave her trademark thumbs-up, winked, and shut the door.

With her bags in her hands, she headed down the dirt road, toward the administrative building. As she walked, she spoke to herself. "You've got this, Deb. You can do it." She looked down at her feet. "Though, you shouldn't have worn your flats. They're getting so dirty, you idiot." She laughed at herself. "Live and learn."

As she approached the building, she saw two guys working in the picnic area just outside the administrative building. She stopped and watched. Both of them were shirtless. One was very large, tanned, and hairy. The other was the complete opposite. Small, pale, and smooth. However, both looked fit.

She watched as they pulled large, wooden picnic tables out of a worn-down looking shed, and set them up in the grass. She spoke to herself again. "Another mistake, Deb. It's hot enough for them to go shirtless. You're wearing a sweater." She blushed as she realized she had spoken loudly enough for them to hear her.

The bigger, hairier man came running to her like she was a damsel in distress. She watched as his muscles bulged with each long stride he took. She was a bit jealous. She'd always wanted a boyfriend, but no one cared for a small, Asian, nerdy girl with glasses and a love for mechanics.

"Hey!" Came the deep voice of the man. Once he was right in front of her, she realized who he was. There was only one guy she knew as big as him. It was Kenny Riedell. "Deborah, right?"

Her eyes literally went wide for a split second in shock. No one ever knew her name. She'd gone to the same school with the same kids for years and yet most of them forgot she was a part of their class. Kenny, though, was a year ahead of her, and he apparently remembered her. She looked way up at his rugged, attractive face. "Yeah. And you're Kenny." She stated.

"Yup." He smiled. "Can I get those for you?" He gestured to her bags with his head.

"Oh, you don't need to trouble yourself." She said shyly.

"It's no trouble." Kenny smiled as he enthusiastically picked up her bags and flung them over his shoulders. "I'll take you to your cabin."

"Thanks." She said. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"After you get settled in I've got some things for you." He led her down the road. "But take your time getting settled in." As they walked passed Chad, Kenny began to introduce him. "Oh, Deborah, that's-"

"Chad." Deborah cut him off.

"You know him?" Kenny asked.

"Not well." She stared at him. "I just remember him from when his father died."

"Yeah." Kenny said quietly.

"I felt so bad for him. I remember how much he cried at the funeral."

"You were at the funeral?"

"Yeah. So were you." Deborah said matter-of-factly.

"Well, he's a good guy, despite what a lot of people say about him. I hope you can get to know him better." He let out a deep breath of air. "He wasn't always the stuck up jerk everyone says he is. He changed after his dad died."

"I get it." Deborah said. "I'll keep an opened mind." She shrugged. "To be honest, he's never been mean to me, but I've seen him in action, and I've heard stories of his bad attitude."

"They're true, mostly." Kenny said, a bit saddened by the reality.

They made small talk and went over Deborah's responsibilities as they got her settled into her cabin and showed her where the bathrooms and showers were. As Kenny left, he turned to Deborah. "Let me know if you need anything. We're just going to be getting things set up in the meantime."

"Sure." She answered.

With Kenny gone, Deborah sat in silence. She took in the peace of the forest and mentally prepared herself for a whole week of monitoring children. She stood and looked out the window. It was hard to believe that it was only five years ago that the murders had taken place. She remembered her parents watching the news in horror as the cops found the mutilated bodies of the high school students at the camp. She remembered the culprit. Jason Voorhees.

Her thoughts and alone time were quickly interrupted as her cabin mate slammed the door open and dropped her bags on the floor. "Seriously?" The girl's voice sounded irritated.

Deborah looked up at her. She sighed on the inside. Just what she needed. Her cabin mate was none other than Tiffany Cox. She was the school's 'hot girl'. Deborah looked her up and down. Her tiny crop-top hung over just one of her shoulders and didn't even reach her navel. Her shorts were so short her butt was practically hanging out. Even so, Deborah had to admit, she was pretty. Very pretty.

"What?" Deborah asked her meekly. Tiffany was pretty, but she was also known for being quite the bitch.

"I'm stuck with you?" She scoffed. "I was hoping this week would fun."

Deborah shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't make the rooms up."

"Whatever." Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Just stay outta' my stuff."

"I wasn't planning on touching your stuff."

"So, you were just planning on wearing that disgusting sweater the entire week?"

Deborah took a deep breath. It was not worth getting in a fight. "No. I brought other stuff."

"I hope whatever else you brought is nicer than that thing." She gestured toward Deborah's sweater.

"I like this sweater."

"Yeah." Tiffany made a bitch face. "You would."

"I'm gonna' finish unpacking and then go see if they need any help with the picnic tables." Deborah said, eager to get away from her cabin mate. At least Kenny seemed nice.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kenny watched as the last of the counselors all showed up. He knew them all from school except one. Adam Palomino. Not that Kenny took great pride in the size advantage he had over other guys, but he was used to it. Adam, however, was in many ways, Kenny's equal. Adam was tall, though not quite as tall as he was. But Kenny figured that Adam was stronger. Not because he was bigger. But because he just gave off the appearance of someone who could carry his own. Kenny had never been in a fight. Adam looked like he'd seen plenty of them.

Adam approached Kenny. "Where am I rooming?" He had long, messy hair that reached his shoulders. His face was wide and tough looking. He wasn't quite as handsome as Kenny, but he was no joke. He wore a leather jacket over a white wife-beater, and torn blue jeans. He didn't look like someone Kenny wanted to mess with.

"With me." Kenny explained. "There's only one cabin for male counselors and one for female."

"Is it gonna' be crowded?"

"Yeah, but we won't do much in the cabin other than sleep."

"Okay." Adam sighed. "That's fine."

"I'll show you to the cabin."

Deborah watched as Kenny walked by their window with some other big guy. She'd never seen him before, and she was good at remembering people. He was definitely not from their school.

Tiffany came to the window beside her and encroached on her personal space. "Who's that?"

"I don't know." Deborah said quietly.

 _Bluck!_ Tiffany fake gagged. "That hair. It's awful."

"I don't mind it." Deborah said, watching the stranger go by.

"He's all yours then. Both your lacks of style might be sweet together." Tiffany smirked as she went back over to her bed and continued painting her toenails.

"Thanks." Deborah said with all the emotion of a rock.

Having gotten over her initial exchange with Tiffany and forgoing the picnic tables, she turned her attention back to her newest book, _Gulliver's Travels_ , when the cabin door opened. In came a girl that couldn't have looked less like a camp counselor. Her hair was dark and dyed with bright pink streaks down the bangs. Her clothes were black and covered in skulls, metal, chains, and pentagrams. She was the first goth Deborah had ever been near.

"Who the hell are you?" Tiffany sneered. "Some sorta' Satan worshiper?"

The girl didn't even seem phased by the rude introduction to the girls' cabin. "Hi." Deborah said meekly. "I'm Deborah Kim."

The girl's eyes rested on Deborah, but no emotion was shown across her face. Her mouth opened, and out droned the most bored voice Deborah had ever heard. "Call me A.J."

"Okay, A.J." Deborah forced a smile "Nice to meet you." A.J. gave an uninterested smile. "That's Tiffany Cox."

"Great." A.J. said as flatly as possible.

As the day winded down and the rest of the counselors showed up, Deborah went over the list of counselors. She knew all the girls. There was herself, A.J. the goth, Tiffany the bitch, as well as the two newest, Jenny Myers, and Vanessa Jones. She could tell. They were just going to be the best of friends by the end of the week. Not... However, the boys all seemed nice. There was Kenny, the head counselor, Chad the rich kid, the long-haired, big stranger, Brandon Wilson, Eric LaChappa, but he went by J.R., and Rob Dier. She didn't know them all, but the ones she had met were very friendly.

All in all, camp was pretty much what she had expected so far. Hot in the day. Probably cold at night. A bunch of irresponsible wanna-be-adults trying to manage the property. Bugs. Itches. And bad food. She couldn't wait for it to end.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Once night came and everyone had finished their assigned chores, showered up, and gotten dressed, they all made their way to the large fire pit as Kenny had asked them to. The night was colder than most the counselors were expecting, so many were dressed a bit more warmly.

Chad made his way down the dirt path toward the fire pit alongside Adam and J.R. He always marveled at camp. It brought together the oddest groups of people. Adam was so large and rebellious looking. His leather jacket fit tightly over his muscled torso. In the back pocket of his torn jeans, Chad took notice of a pocket knife with a rather large blade. Adam did not seem like someone he wanted to aggravate. On the other side of him was J.R. He was the complete opposite. While he was a bit taller than Chad, which was no impressive feat, all-in-all, he was unimpressive. He looked like a typical Dungeon and Dragons nerd. He dressed like a geek in khakis and a polo that looked like they were a size too small and not washed often enough, and wore taped glasses. His hair looked messy and his pudgy gut jiggled with every strained step he took between his taxed breaths. He really would have benefitted from some exercise.

As they approached the fire pit, Chad could see the impressive silhouette of Kenny standing before the fire. He was a huge dude. Once he was clearly in sight, Chad noticed that he had changed clothes. Kenny was wearing his signature apparel: jean shorts, a flannel shirt unbuttoned at the top so that just enough chest hair could find its way out the top, and heavy hiking boots. Chad chuckled a bit. He was so different than Kenny. He was wearing a well-ironed white button down shirt, with a shiny leather belt, matching shoes, and light khaki pants. Around his neck was a preppy, bright pink cardigan, just in case it got too cold. Both of them were camp counselors at the same camp, but they could not have been more different people.

Deborah looked over at her slutty cabin mate. She was taking forever to get ready. They were already supposed to be at the fire pit, but hadn't even left yet because Tiffany couldn't decide if she wanted to wear her hair up in a ponytail, or down. She finally rested on up.

"Ready?" Deborah asked.

"Sure." Tiffany said heading to the door. A.J. followed them quietly. As Tiffany opened the door, she realized just how cold it was outside. "Oh man, its way colder than it was earlier."

"That's what happens when the sun goes down." A.J. stated like it was an obvious fact of life. It was.

"Want to borrow one of my sweaters?" Deborah asked. "I have a pink one that would go well with your shorts."

"No." Tiffany said bluntly. "I want the boys to see my outfit."

Deborah sighed. "Okay. Suit yourself."

Tiffany held the door for A.J. and Deborah. As Deborah walked by, Tiffany smiled at her. "Thanks, though." Deborah just smiled back and gave her a thumbs-up. Tiffany looked at her like she was an alien. Apparently, thumbs-ups were not common around the cool girls at school.

The three girls arrived at the fire pit and realized they were the last ones there. They took a spot next to Jenny and gave their attention to Kenny who was looking like he wanted to say something.

"Is that everyone?" Kenny asked.

"I think so." Chad answered.

"Sorry we're late." Deborah said with some embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it." Kenny beamed his sparkling teeth. "I just wanted to get us together for some s'mores and social time. This is going to be a nightly routine. We're going to be working very closely together for the next week and a half and I think it's important we get to know each other."

"Sounds good to me." Tiffany purred as she looked the boys over. Deborah and A.J. looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

The night went by quite pleasantly. Deborah could actually say that the first night of camp ended up being kind of fun. Even with the strange group of people, who, outside of camp, would have never interacted with one another.

As the fire began dying down, Deborah continued to stand off a bit by herself. She watched as Tiffany flirted with Brandon, the football team's linebacker. J.R. spoke with Jenny about who knows what, but Jenny seemed content to listen to him, though Deborah figured she had no real interest in the topic. A.J. stood by herself as well, but seemed happy doing so. Deborah toyed with the idea of going over and trying to strike up a conversation with her, but her attention was always drawn to Kenny.

He sat on the other side of the fire roasting some marshmallows. Deborah watched. He was really handsome. She wasn't sure if she really had feelings for him, but she was definitely interested in him. He was incredibly polite to her and seemed like he could be a lot of fun.

Just as she took a step to talk to Kenny, Adam stepped beside her and greeted her. "Hey." His voice was deep and a bit intimidating. It was different than Kenny's. His was deep, but comforting. Adam's was deep and a bit nerve racking.

"Hey." Deborah responded, looking up into his dark eyes. They reflected the dancing flames, making him look more mysterious than he already seemed. He was the only one at the camp that she was unfamiliar with.

"What's your name?" Adam asked her, sounding genuinely interested. Deborah really wanted to talk to Kenny, but would have felt rude just walking away from Adam as he clearly left his comfort zone to strike up a conversation. She watched as Chad went over and chatted with Kenny. She had lost her chance. She turned her attention to Adam.

"Deborah." She answered. "Kim." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "Deborah Kim,"

"Deborah Kim?" He said with a _hmm_. "I've never seen you before."

"I go to Cunningham High with everyone else here." She explained. "Where do you go? I've never seen you around there."

"Home-schooled." Adam answered with a shrug. "I'd rather have gone to high school with everyone else, but mom wouldn't let me."

"Why?" Deborah asked. Adam looked at her like she was asking him to share with her his social security number and bank statements. She took the hint. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to answer that. It was rude of me. Really, I'm sorr-"

Adam cut her off as she babbled on in embarrassment. "Whoa, chill girl. It's cool." He chuckled a bit. "It's just a bit personal, but it's no secret."

"You really don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine." Adam said. "I've never told anyone. It might actually be nice." Deborah was dumbfounded by his easygoing attitude toward everything. She pegged him as a guarded rebel, but so far he seemed to be more like an open book if you just took the time to ask.

"If you want to, I'll listen."

"Well, my older brother..." Adam began. He faux-laughed as if he couldn't believe he was about to tell some stranger he just met his family's story. "He's mentally handicapped."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Deborah said. She had no experience with the handicapped of any kind, but was pretty sure it was hard on the family.

"Yeah. He's five years older than me, looks bigger, stronger, and probably even sexier than me, but he has the brain of a third grader." He sighed. "It was too difficult to send him to school. Kids just didn't understand him. Y'know? He didn't look retarded or anything. He looked like any other student. It just made things confusing for everyone, Dillan, included."

"Is Dillan your brother?" Deborah asked. Adam nodded. "It sounds like you care a great deal for him."

"Of course. He's my older brother."

"Right."

"Do you have siblings?"

"No. It's just me and my parents." Deborah explained. "Oh, sorry. I meant my parents and me."

"What?" Adam said puzzled. "That's what you already said."

"No. It's proper to put others first and yourself last in a sentence. I had put myself first so-"

"I get it." Adam said with a smirk.

Kenny stood on a log. "Alright. Everyone, it's probably time we head back to our cabins. We have an early morning tomorrow as we run through all that we're going to be doing with the kids."

"Can I walk you to your cabin?" Adam asked. Deborah looked at him oddly. She certainly didn't need anyone to walk her back to her cabin. They were in New Jersey. It's not like she was going to run into any bears in the woods. Besides, she'd have the other girls with her. He read her face and blushed. "I don't have to. Sorry. I'll just let you get to sleep."

"No." Deborah responded swiftly. "No, you can walk me to my cabin. I've just never walked with a boy before."

"Man."

"What?" Deborah asked confused.

"I'm not a boy. I'm a man."

"Right." She laughed nervously. "Man."

Back at the cabin, arriving later than the other girls after a nice walk with Adam, Deborah made her way into the room. Tiffany greeted her at the door with a grin wider than the Grinch's after he stole Christmas. Deborah tried to pretend she hadn't noticed and that nothing had happened.

"So..." Tiffany started in an accusing voice. "What's up, Debbie?"

"Deborah." Deborah corrected. "Nothing's up. Why?" She wasn't practiced in these kinds of conversations, so she felt like she was probably stepping in every land mine Tiffany had placed.

"Because we all saw you with that tough guy. Leather Jacket."

"Leather Jacket?"

"Yeah, Leather Jacket. The guy with the nasty hair." Tiffany stated. "Well, not the nerdy one. The other guy with the long gross hair." The girls all laughed at J.R.'s expense.

"Nothing happened." Deborah defended herself. "We just talked."

"And then?" Tiffany pried for more.

"And then he walked me back here."

"Did you get lost?" Tiffany looked over at the other girls who were smiling like hyenas waiting for the prey to be laid before them. "Because we all walked from the same fire, and we got here 15 minutes ago. And we were walking pretty slowly."

"He just took me around." Deborah explained. "But all we did was talk."

The girls squealed in unison, as if someone had held up a cue card instructing them to do so. "So, you like him?" Vanessa asked. Vanessa was a tall black girl that wore nothing but track suits. Deborah knew she was on the track team and she was talented. She won almost all of her races. In fact, Deborah remembered the one time Vanessa was beaten in a race back in eighth grade track and field. Chad had actually out run Vanessa and it had ticked her off royally.

"He seems nice." She answered.

"That's it?" Vanessa pushed.

Deborah just shrugged. "Yeah. I think so."

"You think so?" Tiffany ask, sounding like she was about to die. "How many guys have you dated?" Deborah looked at her like she had spoken to her in a different language. "Oh no!" Tiffany gasped, placing her hand over her mouth in mock-shock. "Don't tell me, you've never dated before?"

"You know I haven't." Deborah answered. Tiffany and Vanessa giggled. Jenny stepped closer to Deborah and placed her hands on her hips.

"Stop it, you two." She said firmly. "Rather than making fun of her, you should be giving her some advice. Especially you, Tiffany. Everyone knows you've been with every guy under the sun." Her words sounded a bit venomous.

"Ouch." Tiffany said coyly. "Fine." She approached Deborah. "If you think he likes you, take him to the lake, just you and him. Ask him to swim with you, but be sure to forget your swimsuit. Maybe he'll have forgotten his."

"Um, no." Deborah answered with embarrassment. "I'm _not_ going to do that."

"Thank you." A.J. said plainly. "The last thing we need is another slut like Tiffany running around." Tiffany looked at her angrily. "If you like him, then just talk to him some more next time you see him. If there's something there, then you'll be dating before you know it."

"Whatever." Tiffany huffed. "I'm going to bed. Turn the light off."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kenny stripped off his clothes down to his boxer-briefs and grabbed his toiletries. Chad, having changed into his matching pajama shirt and pants, slipped on his slippers.

"You going to the bathrooms?" He asked.

"Yeah." Kenny answered.

"I'll come too."

Chad and Kenny marched down the dirt path toward the bathrooms in the dark. The girls were in bed already, so they didn't worry about them seeing Kenny in his underwear. Chad figured he wouldn't have cared anyway. Kenny was never really shy.

"I'm glad you got the job." Chad started.

Kenny looked at him puzzled. "Why's that? I thought you wanted it."

"I did. But I didn't get it." Chad shrugged. "I'm just glad you got it and not someone else."

"Thanks." Kenny placed his arm around Chad and pulled him in tight as they walked. Chad became immediately uncomfortable, but at the same time, liked it. It felt like something was sparking between them. A real friendship. For years they had just been good acquaintances on the verge of being friends. Maybe now they _were_ friends. "I was so glad when you told me you'd be here early. Of all the counselors, I know you the best."

"Same." Chad smiled awkwardly as his head was pressed against the side of Kenny's chest. "So what's up with that Adam guy?"

Kenny looked down at Chad and shrugged. "Don't know. Why?"

"I don't know. He just seems like some wannabe tough-guy. It's laughable, really." Chad looked down at the ground while forcing out a mocking laugh. He was never a very brave guy and knew it, but that didn't always make it easy to admit in front of others. But for some reason, this moment felt like a bonding moment, like he could share anything with Kenny. "He's a pretty big guy, and seems so... I don't know. Maybe dangerous? I don't see why the camp would hire him. He's probably got a criminal record."

"You think he's dangerous?" Kenny asked through confused eyes.

"Well, the leather jacket. The torn jeans. Plus, I noticed a large pocket knife in his back pocket earlier." Chad tried to puff up his chest. "I'm just worried about the girls. Y'never know what someone like him is going to do."

"Well, I agree that he is different than the typical counselors, but this year's a weird one. We've got most the returning ones, but we have Adam, the new stranger. But we also have Deborah. Like, who woulda' thought she'd ever be here?"

"Not I." Chad admitted.

"Plus, we have A.J." Kenny laughed lightly. "I'd never have guessed that she'd ever step foot in a camp."

"True, but they both seem harmless."

"Don't worry, dude." Kenny said, giving Chad's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "I won't let anything happen to you this week. You're perfectly safe with me."

"Thanks, but I'm not really worried. I just don't think a criminal should be working here. Especially carrying around a knife." Chad said haughtily, but then got a bit more real. "Don't tell anyone about this conversation, okay?"

"Afraid your fearless reputation will be harmed?" Kenny laughed.

Chad laughed too. "Just don't, please?"

"Promise. Not a word."

Together, they brushed their teeth, peed, and headed back to the cabin. Once they had crept into the cabin, everyone was in bed except Adam. "Lights off?" Kenny asked.

The guys all gave mumbled affirmation. With that, Kenny turned the lights off. "Good night, guys."

As he approached his bed, Adam, who was still wearing his jeans and jacket, but had removed his wife-beater under the jacket, grabbed Kenny by the arm. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." Kenny said, nodding a good-night to Chad. "What's up?"

"Outside?"

Kenny nodded. "Sure." They both stepped outside and sat on the elevated porch that only the counselor cabins had. "What's up? Is everything okay?"

Adam sighed. "Yeah." He answered hesitantly. "Sorry. I'm not usually like this."

"It's cool." Kenny assured him. "You can talk to me about anything. That's my job." Kenny smiled. "Even if it wasn't, you could talk to me."

"Right." Adam said. "Anyway, it's about another counselor."

"Someone have drugs or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Adam shook his head. "It's that girl with glasses."

"About this tall?" Kenny said, placing his hand just shy of the five-foot mark, several inches below the bottom of his chest. "Wears a sweater?"

"Yeah, Deborah."

"Deborah Kim." Kenny said. "I go to school with her. Well, I did, but I graduated this year."

"What's she like?" Adam asked. "I had a nice talk with her today and she seems really nice."

"She is really nice. Shy, though. Likes to keep to herself." Silence fell for a few seconds. "To be honest, I couldn't believe it when I saw her name on the registration form. And I couldn't believe it even more when I saw her walking into camp."

"She's not a regular here?"

"Hell, no!" Kenny laughed quietly. "She's more into reading and sitting inside with some quiet music on."

"What kind of music?"

Kenny shrugged. "Sorry, I'm not that close to her. I know I've heard her humming _Sweet Dreams_. So, maybe the Eurythmics?"

"Okay." Adam nodded. "Could be worse."

"Why?" Kenny asked. "Something bothering you about her?"

"No. Actually, I think she's kinda' hot. But I wanted to get another guy's opinion. Y'know? Just to make sure she's not crazy or something. She looks kinda' nerdy, but in a sexy way."

"Especially with that red lipstick, huh?" Kenny smiled.

"Exactly. But, y'know, nerds are usually, well..." He leaned in and whispered to Kenny. "More like J.R." He gestured back toward the cabin. "I just wanted to make sure she's not creepy and greasy like him.

"Gotcha." Kenny snickered. "I don't think she is. She doesn't always have the nicest clothes like Tiffany or Jenny, but she's grounded in reality. She's a pretty real girl."

"That's good to hear."

"But, hey." Kenny said straightening up. "No romance during camp week. Save it for after. Seriously. If I catch you romancing anyone, I have to fire you. It's in my contract."

Adam placed his hands in the air. "You'll see nothing more from me than talking and laughing."

"That better be the case." Kenny smiled.

"Thanks, man." Adam stood up. "Let's head to bed." Adam headed in without waiting. Kenny rested on the porch and looked out to Crystal Lake. The moon shimmered across the rippling waters. He loved camp. Nothing could ruin another wonderful year at Camp Crystal Lake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Tiffany rolled out of bed. She was a late sleeper. As she scanned the room, she noticed the only other person still sleeping was A.J. She was glad that she wasn't the last one to wake up. That would have looked tacky.

She gathered her toiletries and headed to the showers. It was still cold from the night, so she walked briskly in her short nightgown. As she made her way over, she noticed Kenny heading out of the showers in just a short towel. She liked what she saw. How had she never taken notice of him at school?

Entering the showers, she could already feel the heat from the warm mist filling the room from someone else's shower. Stepping into the shower, she noticed it was Vanessa and Deborah already showering. Vanessa was in the center of the large communal shower as Deborah stood as far away as possible.

"What's up, girl?" Tiffany addressed her friend Vanessa.

"Oh, you know, just makin' myself sexy."

"You don't gotta' work at that." Tiffany gave her friend a wink. She turned the hot water on and immediately appreciated the reprieve from the chilled New Jersey morning.

"How was your night, Debbie?" Tiffany raised her voice over all the cascading water. "Dream of Leather Jacket?"

Deborah turned and gave her an uninterested look. "No. Like I said, nothing happened."

"We believe you." Tiffany smiled and giggled with Vanessa.

"Trust me, girl." Vanessa spoke more loudly than she needed to and with some attitude. "We know that no man woulda' done anything with you." Both the girls laughed loudly.

Deborah glared at them and sighed angrily. It wasn't worth it to step into their traps. They were like pythons, waiting for you to make the wrong move so they could lock their fangs into you. She was not about to make that move. Rather than prompt them into more mocking, Deborah just finished rinsing out her hair, and headed out of the showers. Both girls giggled haughtily as she passed by them.

"Deborah!" Tiffany hollered. Deborah stopped and looked at her cruel classmate. "In all honesty. Despite your bad taste in fashion and your horrible hair choices, you've got a decent body." Deborah just rolled her eyes, wrapped her towel around herself, and marched back to their cabin.

"Rude." Vanessa said harshly.

"I meant what I said." Tiffany shrugged.

"Don't bother with her. She's a loser anyway."

Chad chatted with Kenny as he finished getting dressed. As Kenny left the cabin to get breakfast going for the counselors, Chad turned to his own wardrobe and began getting dressed. He glanced over his shoulder as he heard the door open and slam shut. He took a deep breath. It was Adam.

"Hey, man." Adam said, his hair still dripping wet. He stood by his bed in just a towel.

"What?" Chad asked, trying to sound tough, not nervous. He turned back to his own business and laid out his perfectly matched outfit for the day.

"You sure worry about what you wear." Adam said, looking over Chad's shoulder at his outfit.

"Looking good's important." Chad faked a laugh. "At least, to me it is. I guess you live by different principles."

"If you say so." Adam said as he headed back to his bed and slipped on his boxers and torn jeans. "I'm a jeans and boots kinda' guy."

"Oh." Chad said, trying to rush to get dressed. He was so uncomfortable with this guy. He gave off the same vibe as a bully. He watched as Adam picked up his oversized pocket knife from under his pillow and flipped the blade out.

"You gotta' problem with jeans?" Adam asked while inspecting his pocket knife.

"What?" Chad asked nervously. "No, of course not. Not if you want to look like a regular John Deere."

Adam shrugged. "I get the feeling you never wear them."

"I don't, but I certainly don't expect everyone to be able to look as nice as me. It's pretty clear that you couldn't afford my tastes."

Adam shook his head in disbelief and laughed humorlessly. "Whatever." Adam flipped his pocket knife down. "To each his own."

Chad finished tying his cardigan around his neck and headed out of the cabin, but Adam grabbed him by his arm. Chad looked nervously at the big guy. His chest was huge. It looked like the guy could lift a car if he wanted to, though Chad was pretty sure Kenny was bigger. He shoulda' just gotten dressed faster and left with Kenny. Now he was stuck with this big brute.

"You're Chad, right?" Adam asked.

"Yes. What of it?" Chad answered, hiding his fear under male bravado.

"Cool. I'm Adam." He introduced himself. He noticed Chad's clear attempts at covering up his nervousness. "You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He answered. Adam just shrugged and let go of his arm before slipping a white T-shirt on.

Chad walked briskly out of the cabin as soon as Adam's attention left him and, as quickly as possible, made his way to Kenny in the kitchen.

After she was all ready, Deborah made her way over to the cafeteria. Everyone was there except Tiffany, Vanessa, and A.J. She rolled her eyes. She had always figured guys were the late sleepers, but apparently she was wrong.

People were taking seats at the various tables, and already, she could see cliques forming. It was fine. People naturally found people they meshed well with and avoided people they didn't. As far as Deborah could tell, Chad and Kenny were best friends. Rob seemed to get along with everyone, but he stuck pretty close to Brandon. J.R. didn't seem to get along with anyone, and no one seemed to like him, though Deborah didn't have a problem with him other than his smell. Jenny did seem to tolerate him more than anyone else. Vanessa and Tiffany were clearly good friends. Adam seemed to really like her, so she figured she'd be seeing him again, though she really wanted to get closer to Kenny. And finally, A.J. seemed to be a loner to the pure meaning of the word. She seemed to have no interest at all in mingling with others.

Mustering up some courage, Deborah marched herself through the food line and sat down next to Kenny. Part of her felt like a child again. Sitting next to Kenny at the table, she felt so small and petite. Her head didn't even reach his shoulders and her form was a fraction of the size of his. However, despite how intimidating he should have been, he welcomed her warmly to the table.

"Hey, Deb." Kenny smiled. "Is it alright if I call you Deb?"

She hated being called anything other than Deborah, but at this point, she was so desperate to make friends with Kenny, she figured she'd let him call her anything he wanted. "Yeah."

Chad sat across the table from Kenny and stared at Deborah as if she had infringed on their sacred bond. Though, Kenny was the more intimidating in stature, Chad was more intimidating in reality. He had an attitude that was easy to compare to that of Tiffany's. Yet, when around Kenny, he seemed to be nothing short of pleasant.

"Hey, Chad." She said a bit nervously. She gave him a meek smile before digging into the pancakes that Kenny had made.

"Hey." Chad said with a smile. Deborah smiled. He really was nicer when Kenny was around. They must have been pretty good friends. But in all reality, Chad had never been mean to her growing up. She had seen him be a royal ass to other kids in their school, but never to her. She figured it was because she pretty much stayed out of his way. He had no reason to be mean to her.

Tiffany and Vanessa walked in with A.J. lagging behind them looking like she was in her own little world. The three approached the table Kenny, Chad, and Deborah were sitting at and took their places. "Hey, girl," Vanessa said through a mocking smile before hopping back up to get her food.

Kenny raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

Chad spoke up before Deborah could say anything. "They're both bitches, that's what's up." He scoffed as he looked over at them in the food line. "They always have been."

"Can't argue." Kenny said. "Are they bugging you, Deb?"

Deborah froze up. She felt like she was being questioned by a teacher again. She was used to being picked on, and she appreciated people's desire to help, but it usually just ended up making things worse in the long run, especially when the person helping was only a year older. "Nah, I'm fine."

"So, they are, but you don't want Kenny to do anything." Chad stated.

Deborah smirked and nodded. "Yeah. I guess. It's nothing that I can't handle."

"Sorry." Kenny said with genuine concern. "You're always welcome to hang around us." He and Chad both smiled. It was a friendliness Deborah was not used to.

"Thanks, guys." Deborah said as the girls returned to their seats.

"What's going on, Kenny?" Tiffany said through a sexy smirk. He just shrugged. He had always been very friendly to Tiffany in the past, despite her bad attitude, but he seemed pretty cold to her right then. "What, aren't you talking to me?"

Kenny looked at Deborah and then to Tiffany. "Of course I am. I'm just thinking about everything we need to get ready."

"Like what?" Tiffany asked.

"Well, the boat is still broken. And the phone. And the car." He sighed. "The list goes on."

"Didn't you do any work yesterday?" Tiffany asked.

"Deborah is good at fixing things." Vanessa said. "She's like some creepy mechanic guy."

"Shut up, Vanessa." Kenny said in defense of Deborah. He turned to her. "Can you really fix things, Deb?"

She looked around at everyone at the table. Their eyes were all resting on her. "Well, I…" She started. "I… Yeah. I can fix things."

"It's true." Tiffany stated bluntly. "For her science exhibits, like every year, she builds some stupid machine."

"Don't forget that stupid butterfly one." Vanessa laughed.

"I liked the butterfly exhibit." A.J. said plainly.

Tiffany and Vanessa just rolled their eyes. Kenny ignored all the hostility and kept his focus on Deborah. "Think you could reattach a boat's propeller?"

Deborah smiled. It was as if he was asking her to add two and two together. Of course she could. "Definitely." She said. "It'd be easy. Propellers are quite simple to install. You just have to make sure the propeller shaft hasn't taken any damage and wipe down the key way. Then it's a simple screw job. What's tough is if it's a mechanical issue in the engine. Boat engines-"

"Oh my gosh. Enough, Debbie." Tiffany complained. "I didn't sit here to listen to you babble on about motors and junk."

"Why _did_ you sit here?" Chad asked with a hint of irritation.

"Because J.R.'s over there." Tiffany and Vanessa both laughed. No one at the table could argue with that logic. He didn't shower like he was supposed to. Poor Jenny was always stuck with him. Everyone figured he had a crush on her, so he followed her around like a lost puppy. That, or it was just because she was patient enough to actually listen to his discussions on Dungeons and Dragons and whatever else.

Kenny refocused the talk. "Great! The only problem is that the propeller is missing entirely."

"Well, if you find it, I can fix it." Deborah explained. "I can also look at the phone if you want."

"You can fix phones?" Chad asked.

"Probably." Deborah shrugged. "I'd have to identify the problem first."

"Okay, then while we all clean up the cabins and such, you can look at the phone?" Kenny asked.

"Sure. And if you find the propeller, let me know." Deborah answered.

"So that means she won't be tagging along with us?" Vanessa asked in over-acted excitement.

"Yup." Tiffany smiled.

"You two are the worst." Chad said.

"Whatever Richie Rich." Tiffany scoffed as she turned her attention back to Kenny. "So, Kenny. Vanessa and I made a bet. She thinks you can't beat Bugsy-"

Chad cut her off. "Bugsy?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You know… Brandon? Everyone on the football team call him Bugsy." She sighed in irritation and went back to talking to Kenny. "Anyway, she thinks that Bugsy can beat you in an arm wrestle." She laughed. "I told her she's crazy. You're way bigger than him."

"I don't know." Kenny said without much confidence. "I'm taller than him, but I'm pretty sure he's way bigger than I am. He lifts weights like every day."

"So do you." Tiffany said a bit confused.

"But not like he does." Kenny laughed. "That guy can bench press a car, but you know that. You two were, like, a thing for a while."

Tiffany giggled. "I guess." She looked over at Bugsy. "With arms as big as his, who could blame me?" Kenny felt the pangs of jealousy sink in. What did Bugsy have that he didn't? Surely there was something Kenny had that could get Tiffany's attention.

"Let's find out." Vanessa said before turning to the other table. "Hey Bugsy! Come here."

Bugsy obeyed and came over to the table. "What?"

"We want to see if you or Kenny win in an arm wrestle." Tiffany explained.

"No competition." Brandon taunted. "He's nothing more than a friendly Paul Bunyan. He's got nothing like these." He said, flexing his enormous biceps up. The table audibly gasped. His arms were huge. "Come on, dude. Let's see whatcha' got."

Kenny sighed. He hated this macho-competitive stuff. He took his flannel shirt off one side of his torso, and flexed his arm. An impressive mound of muscle went on full-display, but everyone at the table had to admit it. Bugsy's arms were significantly bigger than Kenny's. Kenny was strong, but he was nothing compared to a devoted football player like Brandon.

Finally, after much convincing, Kenny agreed to arm wrestle Bugsy, though he already knew how it'd end. With his shirt still half-off, Kenny placed his large arm on the table. Bugsy did the same, making sure his big arm came down on the table with an audible _thud_. "Okay." Tiffany said. "One. Two. GO!"

With the prompt, both men starting to press against the other's arm with all their strength. Most the table was rooting for Kenny, but both Kenny and Bugsy knew who was going to win. Bugsy had to admit, Kenny was tougher than the average high schooler. He might have even been tougher than some of his teammates, but ultimately, Bugsy was just toying with him. He could have pressed his arm down at any time, but was letting Kenny strain against him for the entertainment. "Come on, little girl." He taunted. Kenny didn't respond at all to the mocking. He had always been a pretty level-headed guy. "You ain't got what it takes."

Once he was satisfied that he had built up enough excitement in the viewers, he slowly, and with relative ease, began forcing Kenny's arm down. "Looks like Mr. Lumberjack here ain't got it." Bugsy smiled confidently. He continued to press Kenny's arm down toward the table. He could feel the sweat coming off Kenny's hand and arm. He was really working, but he didn't stand a chance.

Finally, Bugsy threw his actual might into it and Kenny's arm went down to the table with a loud _smack!_ Bugsy laughed. "You're such a bitch, Kenny." He smiled cockily. "You have all these people convinced you're tough shit 'cuz you're a frickin' giant, but you're nothing more than a wuss in a man's boots. I bet you couldn't even beat Vanessa"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Kenny brushed off Brandon's harsh words as if they didn't matter. He did, however, hope that none of the girls looked at him differently after this. He looked at Tiffany. She looked surprised and disappointed in Kenny. That bothered Kenny more than he thought it would.

Brandon laughed a bit more as he got up and headed over to the door. As he walked off, he smacked the back of J.R.'s head, causing his glasses to fall off his face and land unceremoniously on the table, barely avoiding his syrup-covered pancakes. "Whatever." Tiffany said to Vanessa. "Kenny's still taller. Maybe I like my men tall. Maybe I don't." She and Vanessa got up and headed out to get to work. She turned back. "I'll be seeing you." She gave a wink to Kenny. "Wuss in man's boots." He blushed at the comment. He had just royally embarrassed himself before his dream girl, the most shallow and judgmental girl in the entire county.

After the two girls had left the building, Chad spoke up. "Why do you like her, again?" He placed a hand on Kenny's arm.

Kenny smiled in embarrassment. "I dunno', Chad." He shrugged. "There's more to her than just her bitchy act. I've seen it. She can be really sweet."

"Right." Chad agreed sarcastically.

"Hey, remember when your dad died?" Kenny asked. Chad shut up and got stiff. He clearly remembered something, but neither Deborah nor A.J. had any idea what he was talking about.

"Okay. Anyway, let's get to work." Kenny said, clapping his hands together as he stood up. The group nodded in affirmation.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Deborah went her own way while the rest of the group got to cleaning and preparing the cabins. She was happy to get some alone time. Being stuck with Tiffany and Vanessa every day was going to be a challenge, so a moment's reprieve was appreciated.

She couldn't help but wonder, as she made her way to the docks to look at the boat, what exactly Kenny meant when he told Chad to remember what Tiffany had done after Chad's father died. Whatever it was definitely shut Chad up, so it must have been a pretty big deal. Maybe there was more to Tiffany than just a cheap high school flirt. Deborah wasn't sure, but it was worth giving her a shot.

She found the docks by the boathouse just where Kenny said they would be. Deborah looked out over the lake. The water was so still. It was almost haunting. Something about how quiet everything was made it seem like the beginning to a scary movie, just before the loud cinematic bang came as the monster jumped out from the calm darkness. It gave Deborah the chills.

Looking around, just to double check that she was alone before she let her imagination overrun her with the paranoia that she was being watched by some horror movie monster, she found that she was entirely on her own. The rest of the counselors were far enough away that they couldn't even be heard.

The boat was floating like driftwood tied to the dock. Deborah made sure her glasses were securely on her nose and knelt down to inspect the boat. It was just as Kenny had said: the gas tank was empty and the propeller was missing.

As she inspected the propeller shaft, where the propeller connects to the motor, she noticed that it was in pristine condition. Whoever had taken the propeller off knew what they were doing. She was worried that it would have been broken off by some hooligan, leaving the shaft mangled and therefore, the boat unfixable. Fortunately, that was not the case.

She made a quick once-over in the boathouse hoping that Kenny had just overlooked the propeller. He hadn't. It was missing, nor was there any gas around. She sighed frustrated. Two of the things you'd expect to be kept in the boathouse were missing. Where would they be? She hoped they were at least placed somewhere slightly logical, otherwise they'd never find them. Camp Crystal Lake certainly wasn't huge, but it was big enough you could lose something pretty easily.

Unsure of what to do, Deborah looked back to the boat. There was nothing she could do for it without the propeller or gas. Though, it wasn't what Kenny wanted, the boat would just have to stay where it was. Fortunately, they wouldn't need to worry about campers taking it out for a joyride if there was no gas or propeller. Until it was fixed, it was essentially a floating piece of junk.

She wasn't done as Camp Crystal Lake Mechanic yet, though. There was still the phone. Granted, she hadn't fixed phones before, she knew pretty much how they worked. So long as it was a simple problem and not something in the actual electrical wiring of the phone, she figured she could fix it. She brushed the dirt off of her knees from the old dock and made her way toward the administrative building to check out the phone.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Kenny walked about the camp, ensuring that each counselor was working and that they understood their job. It did feel a little odd being their boss. After all, he wasn't even a whole year older than them, yet, because he was now legally an adult, he was the boss. Though, Chad was actually older than him, Chad was also the easiest for him to order around. They had brought to life some friendship that Kenny was pretty sure was always there, but hadn't really been tapped into. Now it felt like he was working alongside one of his best friends.

As he made his way through the girls' side of camp, he noticed Tiffany alongside the small creek in front of one of the cabins. She definitely wasn't working. Kenny sighed. He wasn't surprised by her lack of enthusiasm toward work, but it didn't make it any less frustrating.

He walked up and took a seat beside her. "Whatcha' doing?" He asked in a friendly voice.

"Oh, nothing." Tiffany said quietly. "Just taking a break."

"Cool." He looked at her. She was so hot. He didn't think many people knew, but he had had a crush on Tiffany since the second grade. She was a year below him in school, but she'd always been the cutest girl he'd ever seen. And then she grew into the hottest woman he knew.

"What are you up to?" Tiffany purred. "Checkin' me out?" She laughed. "I meant, checking up on me?"

Kenny blushed. He was, in fact, doing both. He looked up her smooth legs before looking at her petite face. She was so talented with boys, that even just resting, Kenny felt like she was drawing him in. How could he ever win a girl like her over? She was so experienced with boys and he'd never even had a girlfriend. Maybe Chad could give him some advice. He was always chasing some girl around at school.

Kenny's thoughts were interrupted as Tiffany leaned over to him and began unbuttoning his shirt. He couldn't believe it. Was she interested in him? Or was she just the kind of girl that would do this with anyone so long as they were male? At the moment, it didn't really matter. She was flirting with him.

Kenny caressed her arm as she pulled his flannel shirt off of his hulking torso. She ran her hand through the dense hair of his chest and he leaned in and kissed her. This was like a dream come true.

As Tiffany began to climb on top of him, something in Kenny went off like a fire alarm, maybe it was his nerves, or maybe it was that pesky thing called responsibility. Whatever it was, it jolted Kenny back into head counselor mode. "Tiffany, we can't." He said as he gently pushed her off of him. "It's in our contracts. We can't do anything like this."

"Who's going to know?" Tiffany asked.

"Anyone that walks by, for one." Kenny started. "Plus, me. I gave my word via my signature that I would obey all the rules that the Camp Crystal Lake administration gave me."

Tiffany rolled her eyes with a sexy laugh. "Right. You always have been the goodie-two-shoes."

"I guess." Kenny said, sorrowful that he had to cut his dream encounter with his childhood crush to end so quickly.

"Oh, well." Tiffany said. "By the end of camp, I'll have you begging for me." She gave him a kiss on his scruffy cheek and stood up. "Geez, Kenny. I've got work to do. Stop distracting me." She started to walk away. "And put a shirt on you bear." She winked as she headed back into a cabin and started cleaning.

Kenny laughed to himself and stood up. "At least she's working." He told himself. As he searched for his shirt on the floor, Vanessa walked by.

"What's Tiffany done now?" She laughed while shaking her head. Kenny just smiled and pulled his too-tight flannel over his form.

As he started buttoning it up, Adam came up to him. "I was coming to get some direction, but maybe you're not the head counselor?" He said through an accusatory smirk. "No romancing?"

"It's not like that." Kenny said, a bit ashamed.

"Right." Adam teased.

"Seriously, it was a mistake. I shouldn't have let it get that far."

"Chill out, dude." Adam placed a hand on Kenny's shoulder and laughed. "I'm just teasing you. I know how things can get."

Kenny just laughed shallowly. "I guess." He tried to refocus the situation on camp. "What was it that you needed direction on?"

Adam shrugged. "I finished stocking the cabins with blankets, pillows, and all that crap."

"Did you clean 'em?" Kenny asked.

"Nah, Brandon said he'd do that." Adam said plainly. Kenny rolled his eyes. If Brandon was in charge of cleaning out the cabins and all the drawers, then it'd be safe to bet that the cabins would be just as messy as they were when the counselors first arrived, and it was anyone's guess what one could find in the drawers.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Deborah approached the administrative building and found J.R. there. He was clearly having a tiff with the vending machine. He turned and gave a defeated look to Deborah.

"Need help?" Deborah asked.

"No." He said in a whiny voice. "It just stole my money and didn't give me my chocolate bar."

"I hate that."

"Who doesn't?" He sighed. "What are you here for? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Shouldn't you?" Deborah slung the accusing question right back at him. He didn't have an answer. Instead, he shifted around nervously on his feet. "Anyway, I am here working. Kenny asked me to see if I could fix the phone."

"What's wrong with it?" He asked, perking up like she had mentioned something very interesting to him. "I can fix it. I hate cleaning and lifting and stuff. I'm more of a computer fixer."

"I don't know. If I knew, I'd have already fixed it."

"You think you can fix a phone?" He scoffed.

"Probably." Deborah said, ignoring his superior attitude. "But, I can only know for sure once I've looked at it."

"Can I help?"

"Be my guest." Deborah invited him along. As he fell in line next to her, she was overcome by his pungent stench. It was true. He didn't shower enough. Or maybe it was that he didn't wash his clothes enough. Either way, it was bad.

Looking at the phone in the administrative building, everything looked fine. The cord was plugged in. The phone looked well cared for. However, when she lifted it to her ear, it was dead. "Nothing. It's dead."

"Maybe the wiring is bad." J.R. suggested. "Or maybe it's the fuse."

"Could be." Deborah suggested. "We need to find the fuse box that the phone is connected to, then."

"It's probably somewhere in or outside of the building. It couldn't be far."

"Let's check outside." Deborah suggested, having already glanced around the building and seen nothing that indicated that a fuse box was inside.

As they made their way out of the building, J.R. tried to make small-talk. "So, you have a computer at your home?"

Deborah nodded. "Yeah." She laughed quietly. "You wouldn't believe the begging and the number of chores I had to do to convince my parents to invest in a personal computer for me."

"Oh, I bet I would." J.R. laughed. "I had to do the same begging and chores."

"You have a computer too?"

"Oh, yeah." J.R. said proudly. "I've even made some upgrades to it myself."

Deborah smiled. "What are the chances?" J.R. looked at her puzzled. "I mean, that two counselors at the same camp both have personal computers. That's pretty uncommon."

"No kidding." J.R. laughed. "I bet we're the only students at the entire school with our own computers."

"I don't doubt it." She looked around the building and noticed a metal box on the wall. "There."

They both made their way over to the box. "Bingo." J.R. said. Deborah gave him a thumbs-up. It was the fuse box, and written on a sheet of paper taped to the inside of the cover was a list of all the electronics relying on the fuse. The phone was one of them. "This is it."

"Yup." She affirmed. "But there is a problem."

"What's that?" J.R. asked without having looked thoroughly at the fuse box.

"We've got the box." Deborah started as she pointed to the spot where a fuse should be. "But no fuse."

"It's gone?"

"It's gone." Deborah answered. "This is so weird."

"You mean that someone would steal a fuse?"

"That, but it's not just the fuse." Deborah looked at J.R. with a furrowed brow as she thought. "The propeller and gas are missing from the boat. Plus, Kenny said there's an abandoned car, in good condition, except that it is missing its battery and gas as well."

"Who would take off with these things?" J.R. pondered.

"Exactly." Deborah agreed as she tried to think up a solution to the question, but there wasn't one. No one just steals random parts to things like this. Something odd was going on. "Well, we're not fixing the phone without that fuse."

"We'll just have to let people know that if they see a fuse, make sure to bring it to us."

"Do you think anyone else knows what a fuse looks like?" They both laughed.

"I doubt it." J.R. said through chuckles.

"Oh well." Deborah shrugged and repositioned her glasses properly on her nose. "I doubt we'll need the phone anyway. We're camping after all."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Night finally came and the cold came with it. When Kenny announced that it was time to gather by the fire pit, the counselors were actually excited. It meant that they could warm up! The cabins didn't have air or heat, so any source for the latter was appreciated.

Kenny stood before the fire and waited as the counselors filed in. It was easier to see where they were because he had given them each flashlights that attached to the waist of their pants to help them as they traveled through the dark. As each arrived, he took notice of their various styles and characteristics.

Deborah was the first to arrive. She was about five foot and had messy brown hair done up in a ponytail. She had thick framed glasses on her nose and bright red lipstick on her lips. She wore a beige, warm looking sweater and some blue jeans. She seemed pretty unconfident still, but Kenny was pretty sure that she'd come out of her shell over the coming week.

A.J. arrived right behind Deborah. She was tougher to see in the dark due to all the dark colors she wore and how quietly she carried herself. Her hair was wavy, but left down. In her bangs were bright pink streaks. She wore heavy eye makeup that made her almost look like a raccoon and lots of jewelry featuring pentagrams and crosses. Her apparel was what anyone would expect from a goth. She wore a black tank top with chains attached to it and a black skirt. Under her skirt she wore leggings that were black and red striped, almost like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz that got smashed by the house. On her feet were black, leather combat boots, which added a couple inches to her height, making her taller than Deborah. She was not your typical counselor, but Kenny was pretty sure she could handle the kids.

A few minutes later, as A.J. stood humming Black Sabbath to herself and Deborah mingled with him, he noticed Vanessa and Tiffany show up. Vanessa was wearing what she always wore: a pink monochrome track suit. Her dark hair was up in a ponytail and her face was clean of any makeup. Kenny knew she could carry her own. She was a star athlete at her high school. He didn't need to worry if she could keep up with the kids. She was so loud and tall, no kid could ignore her.

Tiffany was dressed in her typical way. It always got Kenny a bit flustered. She was so small and hot. She stood only at Vanessa's neck, which would have made her just a couple inches taller than Deborah. Her hair was done up in the perfect ponytail, letting just enough stray hair fall down to her shoulders to make it look like she just didn't care. Her shirt was just a crop top that she, like always, only covered one of her shoulders with. Her shorts were incredibly short. Kenny figured they were tighter and smaller than his boxer briefs. They were denim, but so tiny that her butt cheeks were clearly visible.

As Tiffany and Vanessa chatted and giggled like stereotypical high school girls, J.R. made his way to the fire. His hair was still greasy and flat. His glasses were still broken and taped. His clothes were sweat stained and wrinkled. Though, Kenny could tell, at one point they were a nice striped polo shirt and fancy khakis. Actually, they weren't so different from what Chad would wear if he had kept them in good condition. Speaking of condition, J.R.'s condition wasn't good. He seemed out of shape. He was somewhere around six foot tall, but he was so out of shape. His flab jiggled with every step and he could be heard audibly trying to catch his breath just from walking to the fire.

As if on cue, Chad came over with Brandon. Kenny couldn't be surprised that they were in the middle of an argument. Chad had done very well to be polite and courteous to most the counselors so far, but it was no secret that typically, Chad was a dick. He especially hated the jocks at school.

Brandon was on the football team, and he wasn't particularly charming himself. He was a pretty short guy, but really well-built. He was visibly more muscular than Kenny, and he knew Brandon could beat him in a fight due to the many tackles he'd endured in football. Chad had always likened him to a beefed-up black dwarf. He was one of the few guys almost as short as Chad.

Chad wore the same white outfit he wore the day before, which was amazing to Kenny, because the white was still plain white. There wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen. Chad was very careful not to dirty himself. He marched away from Brandon and stood next to Kenny.

Jenny and Adam arrived together with Jenny making some small talk and Adam just nodding absently to her. Jenny made her way over next to A.J. but paid her little attention. She was wearing just a polo shirt and bright orange jeans.

Adam, however, came straight over to Deborah and struck up a conversation. Kenny stepped aside and chuckled to himself as he watched Adam's face light up like a little boy on Christmas. He was taken by the girl, and really, Kenny could see why. She was pretty and, as he'd learned from chatting with her, down to earth. She was smart and collected.

With everyone present, Kenny addressed the small crowd of high school students. "Hey, guys." He smiled. They all gave him awkward greetings. "Thanks for volunteering here. For all you newcomers, you're gonna' love it. It's a bit difficult on the first day as you get to know the kids and your responsibilities, but as any of the returning counselors can tell you, once you get things down, camp is awesome. You're gonna' make memories that you'll remember the rest of your lives."

"That's for sure." Tiffany said loudly, winking at Brandon. He just smiled awkwardly. The rest of the girls simply rolled their eyes; a typical response to her boastful comments.

"We'll keep gathering here every night until the kids arrive." Kenny explained. "So that we can get to know each other and rely on each other." He laughed a bit. "'Cuz trust me, once the kids arrive, you're going to want someone you can rely on." The returning counselors giggled, and Deborah and Adam smiled at each other. "So just enjoy the comradery." Kenny finished by jumping off the log.

Chad scanned the group at the fire. "Hey!" He spoke over the chatting. "Has anyone seen Rob?" Everyone looked around, but no one seemed to have an answer.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom or something." Jenny suggested. They all shrugged. Wherever he was, they were pretty sure he'd be fine.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The fire pit party actually turned into something enjoyable. Deborah found herself not just enjoying the company of Kenny and Adam, but actually the entire group as a whole. There were certainly some counselors that had nothing to do with others, but as a whole, they were getting along quite well and enjoying the time together.

The group's attention was slightly drawn to the sound of twigs breaking just beyond the fire's visible radius and the noise of heavy footprints stomping carelessly through the woods. "It's about time." Tiffany laughed. "We've been waiting for you, Rob." The group laughed heartily at the late arrival of their coworker.

Rob Dier entered the visible light of the fire with a smile on his face, but before he could even get three steps into the group, a horrible cracking noise pierced the group's conversation. It was a sound that made everyone cringe: the sound of flesh and bone breaking.

The group all watched in shock and terror as Rob's face went from laughter to pain and his dying body fell to the floor like a sack of rocks. The thud echoed through the counselors' heads as they all shifted their view from the dying coworker to the source of the fatal wound.

Chad let out a loud, horrified scream. Walking into the warmth of the fire was none other than the Camp Crystal Lake nightmare. The very horror that kept all of Cunningham County awake at night as the police strained themselves to put an end to him. As the camp counselors stared at him, his hate-filled eyes stared right back. Jason Voorhees.

Deborah's eyes about jumped out of her skull. He was like they said. A killer. Tall. Strong in appearance. But even more terrifying than the machete in his hand was the faded, old, white hockey mask on his face, hiding his evil face from their sight. The white was stained with Rob's fresh blood running slowly down it like red sweat.

He stood before the group for just a split second before each counselor was overcome by their most basic primal instinct. Fight or flight. In this case, Deborah, and unsurprisingly to her, every other counselor, chose flight.

Without even thinking about what she was doing, Deborah turned and ran into the darkness of the forest. She had no idea where she was going. She hadn't taken the time to explore the woods around here. Now she was running in the darkness of the night, with only the broken moon to guide her.

Her breathing became strained as she ran as quickly and as quietly as possible through the tangled floor of the woods. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She wanted to stop and catch her breath, but she couldn't. She could hear him behind her. Behind every soft step she made, she could hear a larger, louder, more menacing foot step. Jason was behind her. She just knew it.

She picked up her pace, but so did her pursuer. It didn't take long for her to realize she was not going to outrun whoever it was. Mustering all the courage and desperation in her, she quickly reached down and grabbed the largest stick she could find. She turned to swing it, but just before her lungs could let out a terrified scream, a large, warm hand pressed over her mouth.

"Shhhh!" Echoed through her ear. Before she could press her glasses back in place and focus on who it was, she recognized the voice. "Keep quiet. He might hear you."

"Kenny." Deborah sighed very quietly. "I thought you were him."

"Be thankful I'm not." He said between gasps for air. "We gotta' get outta' here."

"How?" Deborah asked.

"We could run." Kenny suggested.

"Run where?' Deborah shrugged her shoulders for emphasis. "We're miles and _miles_ from town." She explained. "We'd either have to pray we can navigate our way there through the perils of a forest at night, or we'd have to expose ourselves on the open road."

Kenny sighed in understanding. "Then what should we do?"

"I don't know." Deborah took a deep breath. "Don't let him find us?"

"Obviously." Kenny said with little emotion.  
"Do you think anyone else got away?"

"I hope so." He said, his thoughts going to Chad, and then to Tiffany. "I really hope so."

"Me too." Deborah agreed. She placed her head in her hands frustrated. "I can't believe this is happening." She was starting to cry. "Why did I have to sign up for camp? I just wanted to get into a good college and I needed this on my college applications." She was starting to hyperventilate. "Now I'm going to die. I won't even go to college. I-"

Kenny grabbed her by both shoulders. "Deborah!" He whispered with the authority of a drill sergeant. She looked at him with fear in her eyes. "Deborah." He said with more affection. "Calm down." He forced a smile. He wasn't sure if he was lying to her. "We're going to be just fine." He nodded to her. "We're going to get outta' here." At least, that was his intention. He wasn't terribly confident that his dreams would become reality.

"How?" She asked, forcing herself to breathe more slowly. "What do we do?"

"Call the police?"

"The phone's broken."

"I thought you fixed it." He said confused.

"I couldn't find the fuse. It can't be fixed without the fuse."

"What about the car?" Kenny asked. "Or the boat?"

Deborah shrugged hopelessly. "Same. Without the needed parts, I can't fix them."

"No one steals a propeller from a boat, do they?" Kenny asked desperately hoping for a possible solution to show itself. "No one just walks off with one, right?"

"I don't think so. Propellers only fit certain sized shafts, so it's not like you could just steal one and put it on any other boat you owned."

"Then it must have been taken off by someone that runs this place during the off season."

"So maybe it's still around here?" Deborah asked, sounding a bit more optimistic.

"Maybe." Kenny shrugged.

"But I checked the boathouse." She explained. "I didn't see it."

"Did you check every drawer? Every cubby?"

"Well, no. Just the obvious places. I gave up and tried to fix the phone."

"Then I guess we head to the boathouse."

Deborah nodded. It sounded like a better plan than standing around in the middle of the woods just waiting for Jason to find them. Kenny took her small hand in his and scanned the area. Once he had calibrated himself to his surrounding, he swiftly led her in the direction of the boathouse. Both of them walked cautiously, avoiding rocks and twigs. The last thing they wanted to do was generate too much noise.

Deborah crossed the woods like a ghost, but Kenny with his heavy body, big feet, and durable hiking boots wasn't quite so silent. Each step he took sent shivers up her spine. She kept her eyes darting all around, looking for any trace of the masked psycho killer. She still couldn't believe this was really happening. She'd thought that Jason had died years ago, after the first murder spree happened.

Obviously, he hadn't.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Adam bolted through the woods and ended up at the male counselors' cabin. The lights were still on, which was more comforting to him than he would have expected it to be. He checked around him. He seemed alone. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he entered the cabin and locked the door behind him.

Keeping an eye on the door, Adam rummaged through the cabin for anything he could use to survive. He felt his back pocket and felt a bit of relief knowing that his pocket knife was still there. He checked through the various dressers, pushing aside the other counselors' clothing and trinkets in hopes of finding something practical for the situation.

As he checked through Kenny's drawers, he did find a map of the camp and some first aid ointments and bandages. He stuffed it all in his leather jacket and hoped that Kenny didn't come back here in desperate need of his belongings.

He continued looking through the cabin. He wanted something he could defend himself with. He figured there had to be something used for entertainment that would help. Maybe a crochet mallet? A baseball bat? Hell, he'd even put up with a frying pan or something. Anything that he could swing at someone.

As he searched, his heart just about stopped. The lights in the cabin died with an audible hum. Was that hockey mask wearing psychopath here? He prayed he was not. He felt around his waist for the nice flashlight Kenny had provided him. Once he had found the power switch, he flipped it on, keeping it pointed down toward the ground as he crept over to the window and peered out.

It looked safe. There was no sign of anyone, killer or otherwise. He listened. There was no sound other than the wind blowing through the trees. He gave himself the luxury of taking a relaxed breath. He was safe.

He allowed himself to move a bit more freely, worrying less about that killer being immediately near him, and searched for a weapon. He opened the closet in the back of the cabin and found exactly what he was looking for: a nice wooden baseball bat. He placed a firm grip on it and practiced swinging it. "Just like Reggie Jackson." He told himself with a smirk.

Now that he was armed, he took a second to figure what he had to do. He knew he needed to get out of this camp, but how? He remembered the other counselors talking about a boat and car, but he had no idea where those were. He could run back to town. He checked his map for the distance. He sighed. There was no way he could reliably wander through miles of forest to get to town. That was too dangerous. Especially since there was a killer.

He considered himself a decent mechanic. He did fix his mom's car whenever it was in need. He certainly was no pro, but he was good enough. Surely, whatever was wrong with the car here at camp could be fixed without needing a professional grade mechanic's mind. That was as good a plan as any.

Rather than unlocking the door and leaving it open for a killer to sneak in, Adam decided to open the windows so that he could make a quick entry if he needed to. Crawling out of the window as quietly as possible, he looked to his right along the outer wall of the cabin. There was a power box there, presumably the one that provided the needed electricity to run the lights, and it was clearly smashed by something heavy.

He could feel his heartbeat speeding up. If the power box was right there, then that meant that whoever sabotaged it was right there too. He hated to, but he had to assume that the psycho was the culprit. He knelt low to the ground and scanned the area. He didn't see a killer, but he had to be close. His mind ran rampant. What if he was watching him from just out of sight? What if he was stalking him, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?

Suddenly, a female's scream echoed through the woods, and its source wasn't that far from Adam's location. His immediate feelings were that of relief. A scream meant the killer was with someone else. Not with him. But then his pesky conscience kicked in. That girl needed help. What if it was Deborah? He couldn't just leave them.

With as much bravery as he could muster, which was admittedly, not that much, he gripped his baseball bat and made his way toward the scream. He knew this was a mistake, but someone had to help.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Tiffany screamed as the power suddenly shut off in the small cabin that Vanessa and she had been hiding in. She wasn't particularly fond of the dark, but at the moment, it wasn't really the dark that scared her. She looked back at Vanessa with terrified, bugged-out eyes. Vanessa looked just as terrified.

"Oh my gosh!" Vanessa gasped as the silhouette of a large man made its way passed the window. "Adam?" She whispered just loudly enough that someone immediately outside the cabin could hear her. No answer. "Kenny?"

Nothing.

The room fell silent as both ladies waited for their worst nightmares to be realized. The footsteps outside stopped in front of the door. Then, so quietly they wouldn't have heard it in normal circumstances, the doorknob clicked as someone tried to open the door. Tiffany was so relieved that she had taken the time to lock the door. Unfortunately, the lock was a cheap one. It wasn't going to hold someone out for long.

 _WHAM!_ The end of a machete smashed through the wooden door. Vanessa and Tiffany screamed in unison. "Help me!" Vanessa hollered. Tiffany turned to see her lifting a long piece of wood which was intended to be placed on the end of a bunk bed to ensure no one would fall out of bed, but she had other plans for it. Together, they lifted the wood across the door, securing it behind a large, heavy shelf next to the door.

"More!" Tiffany shouted. Together they shoved one of the beds in front of the door to strengthen the makeshift barricade. "Now what?" She asked in a panicked voice.

 _WHAM!_ Both ladies gawked at the large hole in the door, through which they could see the bloodied hockey mask staring right at them. "Come on." Vanessa said, taking her friend's hand. She led her over to the back of the cabin and lifted the window open. "Climb through." She instructed.

Tiffany looked at her friend in terror. "Are you crazy?" She freaked out. "I'm not climbing through! He's out there!"

"He's about to be _in_ here!" Vanessa hollered. "We gotta' go!" She poked her head out and didn't see any indication of danger. Suddenly, the cabin fell silent. They both looked at the front door. He was gone, or so it seemed.

Vanessa looked around the back of the cabin. There was a shelf with a toolbox on it. She quickly threw the toolbox on the ground, allowing the contents to spill out on the floor. She reached down and picked up what seemed to be her best option: a heavy wrench.

"What's that for? You planning on fixing some toilets?" Tiffany asked in a fear-induced confusion.

Vanessa placed a hand on Tiffany's bare shoulder. "Girl, you gotta' calm down. We're going to die if we stay here. He's coming in after us."

"No, he left." They both looked at the door. It was true he had stopped chopping the door down, but they both knew better than to assume he was gone.

"You're not this stupid, Tiff." Vanessa said. "He's here." She sighed. "Look, I can fight him with this, but you gotta' run."

"And leave you?"

"I'll be fine. I'm the star track runner. I can beat this guy in a foot race." Vanessa faux-smiled. She wasn't so sure she could beat him. After all, this guy was supposed to be dead. If he could cheat death, wasn't there a good chance he could cheat a foot race?

Tiffany took in a hissing breath. "Okay. I'm gonna' climb out this window and run, but don't you dare die."

"I'll be fine." Vanessa assured her through unsure lips. "Lemme' just make sure the coast is clear." She carefully placed her head out the window to be sure he wasn't there.

"Oh my gosh!" Tiffany screamed, yanking Vanessa's head back into the cabin just as Jason's machete swung down like a guillotine, ready to decapitate anyone in its way.

Vanessa and Tiffany screamed more. What were they going to do? He had this place on lock-down! Vanessa went around to a new window. "Okay." She started. "New plan. You climb out _this_ window while I make some noise over there so he thinks we're trying to get out that side. No hesitation. Just go."

Tiffany nodded her understanding. She crept over to the window and waited for Vanessa's distraction. Vanessa started banging the wrench against the window frame, hoping that it would draw his attention like he was some rabid dog. It did.

A small throwing knife flew into the window, going right through the center of Vanessa's hand, pinning it to the window frame. She screamed out in pain. Blood began seeping out of her hand. She looked out into the night and saw the white of Jason's mask quickly approaching her. With bullheaded determination, she pulled her hand away from the window frame. Pain shot through her hand and all down her arm. She could feel the skin on her hand tearing as she yanked her hand free from the knife.

Tiffany landed gently on the dirt floor outside the cabin. She took one last look back at Vanessa as she distracted Jason. Vanessa was bleeding and crying, but she hadn't left her post. "Come get me you freak!" She shouted as Jason approached the window.

Tiffany took the opportunity and ran. She hated that she was ditching her friend, but she didn't want to die! She ran as quietly and quickly as she could. She never wanted to see that horrible mask again. With each step she took, the sounds of her best friend faded into the darkness of the woods, and the silence of this horrible Friday night enveloped her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Adam ran as fast as his legs would move him, though he was pretty sure his fear was leading him to slow down just a bit, toward the terrified screams coming from the small cluster of dark cabins before him in the woods. Whoever was in trouble was a girl. His heart told him he needed to save her, but his mind said it was too late. He should just turn and save himself. But he couldn't do that. Once he let one person die, it was an easy slide to letting everyone die so long as it improved his own chances for survival. That would mean Deborah would die, and he wasn't about to let that happen.

He picked up his speed as he heard what sounded like a pile of lumber falling over, followed by a gut-churning shriek from a woman. As he approached the source of the noise, a cabin with its front door busted in, he caught something moving in the corner of his eye. Turning his attention to the blurry pink object, he realized it was Vanessa. She had dove out an open window.

Adam bolted over to her and helped her up from the ground. She grimaced and screamed out in pain as he pulled her to her feet by her hands. He noticed immediately that her hand was mangled to the point it barely looked like a hand anymore. It was as if all the skin had been pulled off her hand until it just broke. Her fingers were contorted and blood was flowing freely from the wound. At this rate, Adam knew that she didn't have long before she started feeling the effects of blood loss.

"Hurry." Adam instructed. She nodded her understanding. As he turned with Vanessa clinging to him like a lifeline, he looked back to see the psycho killer staring at them through the window. "Run!"

Together, they took off at a sprint. Vanessa lived up to her title as the track star as she, with a severe injury, still outran Adam without breaking a sweat. He wasn't out of shape, though. He ran behind her, keeping his eyes peeled for a white hockey mask, but never saw one.

Finally, Vanessa came to a stop. She was crying and gripping her mangled hand. "I can't go any more. It hurts too much."

"The pain's temporary. But we need to stop the bleeding or you're going to pass out." Adam explained. She nodded in agreement. He looked around and found a cabin a ways away in the woods, nearer the lake. "Come on, we'll get you fixed up."

They made their way slowly to the cabin, both their hearts racing, waiting for those heavy foot steps behind them, but they never came. Adam led Vanessa into the cabin and barricaded the door behind him. He was glad that these cabins had been built many years ago and had heavy-duty barricades installed on many of them for the safety of the kids in case of an emergency. He never thought they'd actually need to be used.

Vanessa promptly collapsed on the bed and Adam made quick work of attending to her hand. He was thankful that Kenny had kept this first aid material in his dresser. Without it, Vanessa would have been a goner. He sighed. It wasn't like having a bandage on an injury really guaranteed survival, but it was at least a step in the right direction.

She grimaced as he tightly wrapped the wound. "Sorry." He whispered. "I've never done this before."

Vanessa chuckled a bit. "I can tell."

"Hopefully this helps." He stood back up and surveyed the grounds outside the window.

"Thanks." She said weakly. "Gimme' a minute. I just need to rest a second."

"That's the blood loss." He explained. She nodded her understanding. She looked down at her good hand with the wrench tightly gripped in it. She noticed that Adam was carrying a hefty baseball bat. That brought her some comfort. She was just glad that she wasn't alone.

"You didn't notice Tiffany on your way to my cabin, did you?" She sounded desperate.

"No. Should I have?" Adam asked, sounding concerned.

"I bought her time so she could get out the window and run."

"You're a good friend." He was actually a bit surprised she was willing to do that for Tiffany. Neither of them seemed very nice, so he kinda' just assumed they were shallow toward each other too. It was good to know that they were actually good friends. "Do you think she'll be okay out there on her own?"

Vanessa looked at the ceiling and cried a bit. "She'll be fine." She explained. "The girl's a chicken and overreacts to everything." She laughed fondly. "But the girl is sneaky as hell. If she doesn't want you to know what she's up to, then you won't." She looked Adam in the eyes. "She's going to be fine."

"I hope you're right." He smiled. "No, you are right. Girl's like Tiffany don't get hunted. They hunt."

Vanessa laughed at his words. "You got that right."

Adam sat down next to her. He took off his leather jacket and rummaged through the first aid materials in his pocket. He still had some ointment left and some gauze. He could still play doctor if the occasion arose. He hoped it didn't.

"Now what?" Vanessa asked. "Do we look for Tiffany?"

"Will we find her?" Adam shrugged. "Like you said, if she doesn't wanna' be found then she won't be."

"True, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try."

"She left you and you still want to find her?" Adam was quite amazed.

"She didn't leave me. I forced her to go."

"Would she have done the same for you?"

Vanessa shrugged. "I dunno', really." She looked at Adam. "Maybe not. We all have different areas that we excel at. She's done more for me in my life than anyone else I know. But she's a coward." She laughed a bit. "Asking her to excel in this situation is like asking J.R. to play professional football. It's just not what she's good at it. She's out of her element."

"That's a good way to look at things." He admitted. "You're pretty smart."

"Thanks." She chuckled, then got serious. "Why _were_ you running by my cabin?"

"I heard you scream."

"You just came to save me?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I mean, I didn't know it was you, but yeah."

"That's pretty awesome." Vanessa complimented him. "For the weirdo that nobody knows here, you're pretty alright." She smiled at him. "What were you doing before you ran to me?"

"Honestly, debating whether or not I should ditch this camp and save myself, or if I should stay and fight for the Tiffany's out there."

"The Tiffany's?"

"Those who are out of their element. Those who can't fight for themselves."

"Like Chad?" Vanessa asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, like Chad. J.R." He fell silent.

"Like Deborah?" She filled in the silence. He nodded affirmation. "I think she's fine." She explained. "I think I saw Kenny run after her. I imagine he's taking care of her." She placed her good hand on his shoulder, not letting go of the wrench for even a second. "He's seriously the biggest guy I've ever seen. The guy's a muscled giant. I can't figure out why he doesn't do wrestling or football. He'd rock."

"Yeah, but there's more to fighting than being big. There's an attitude to it." Adam explained. "I've been fighting my whole life."

"Why?"

"Taking care of my big brother. People bully him." Adam opened up a bit. Vanessa just listened. "I don't think Kenny has that attitude."

"You might be surprised what life changing events like this might lead a person to do." Vanessa looked like she was remembering something. "Tiffany is a bitch." Adam looked at Vanessa like he was shocked to hear her say that. "What?" She laughed. "You know it's true. Hell, she knows it's true."

"Okay…" Adam fell silent again.

"Anyway, everyone knows Chad's kinda' a dick too." Vanessa and Adam both nodded agreement on that note. "But when Chad's dad died, despite Chad and Tiffany hating each other, Tiffany went pretty far out of her way to make sure Chad and his mom were being taken care of."

"How so?"

"Well, Tiffany's family is pretty loaded."

"So is Chad's."

"Not then they weren't." Vanessa explained. "So Tiffany went ahead and hired a catering service to make sure that food was properly brought to their house. She also offered to help pay the cost of the funeral, but I think Chad's mom politely declined on that. Either way, the gesture was so out of character for Tiffany, but it was an awesome thing to do."

"No kidding." Adam agreed. "I woulda' never guessed she'd have done something like that."

"That's my point." Vanessa smiled proudly. "Major events like this bring out something in a person no one ever knew was there. I think Kenny's taking good care of Deborah. Or, who knows? Maybe Deborah's taking care of Kenny." They both chuckled a bit. "So, what's the plan Adam?"

"Let's get out there and find our friends."

"You're the boss." Vanessa agreed as they both stood up.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Jenny stood beside Chad in the administrative building with the lights on. She wasn't sure having the lights on was a good idea or not. It did enable them to see clearly and serve as a beacon to the other counselors around, but at the same time, it very well could lure Jason Voorhees toward them.

"Okay. We need to call the police." Chad said on the verge of panicking.

"The phone's broken, remember?" Jenny reminded Chad of the awful state of Camp Crystal Lake's only connection to the outside world. Without it, they were stranded.

"I know, but can't you fix it or something?" Chad asked sounding a bit irritated. "I thought you were smart."

Jenny laughed rather than show how irritated and offended she really was. All the counselors knew that Chad was a jerk from school, but they all had to admit that ever since this strange Kenny-Chad thing started, he'd been a lot more tolerable. Now, Kenny was nowhere to be seen and Chad was back to his typical attitude. "I do fine in school." She started. "But passing biology class and repairing a broken phone with a killer on the loose are two entirely different things."

"Well, we can't just sit around and do nothing." Chad's voice was higher as he got more scared.

"What do you think we should do?" Jenny asked. She had to admit even though Chad was incredibly trying on her composure, it was kind of nice to have another non-killer body in the room with her.

"I don't know." He surrendered as his shoulders deflated. "Maybe we should find Kenny."

"I'm all for that if we had any idea where to start."

"Maybe he'll come here since we have the lights on." Chad suggested. "I know that Deborah had said that she could fix the phone if she had the right parts. Maybe they went to get the parts and are heading here right now."

Jenny doubted it, but she played along. At the very least, it would bring Chad some comfort and avoid a fight. "Possibly."

They both stopped their conversation abruptly as the door back in the kitchen opened and closed quietly. "Kenny?" Chad hollered. "Deborah?" Neither could see who it was because they had left the kitchen lights off. They listened nervously as the sound of heavy boots, much like Kenny was wearing, echoed across the hard-tiled floor of the kitchen.

"Is that you?" Jenny asked masking how scared she was.

They both nearly screamed as a dark figure emerged from the kitchen. It was Brandon. He had his finger over his pursed lips gesturing for them to be quiet. Behind him was J.R. who was looking nervously from window to window. "Turn the lights off." He ordered.

Jenny walked over and flipped the lights off. "Is everything okay?" She whispered.

"Get down!" Brandon whispered harshly. They all dropped to a squatted position as the silent nervousness of the group began to suffocate Jenny.

"Okay, what's going on?" She finally asked, unable to take being left out of the loop any longer.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and in the doorway stood Jason Voorhees, as tall, muscular, and evil as Jenny had imagined him. Brandon, Chad, and J.R. screamed as they bolted toward the kitchen. Jenny rose as quickly as she could to join them, but the light switch was on the opposite side of the room from the kitchen door. She began to run, but Jason cut her off. "Wait!" She hollered to the group. Chad and J.R. ignored her cry for aid, but Brandon hesitantly turned around, taking a frying pan in his hand.

Jason approached Jenny with a hatred exuding from his body that couldn't be seen in his face. All Jenny could see was the cold stoicism of his bloodied hockey mask, but she knew he wasn't there as a friend.

As she tried to sprint around him into the kitchen, he swung his machete down hard, planting it firmly into the wall, creating a barricade between her and her kitchen escape route. Just as he reached out to grab her, the distinct _GONG_ of a frying pan crashed over Jason's head. It felt to Jenny that time had stopped. Did it phase him? Was she saved?

Jason stood frozen for just a second. Then he turned slowly, like Frankenstein's monster, and shoved Brandon hard onto the kitchen floor, causing him to bang his head against the steel edge of the metal counter in the center of the room. He rose back to his feet quickly and gave an apologetic look to Jenny before he turned and ran out of the cabin, leaving Jenny alone with the killer.

She looked into the eyes of his hockey mask. What she saw was pure hatred. How could he hate her so much? He'd never even met her before. He didn't even know her name. None of that mattered as Jason grasped Jenny's throat firmly in his hand and lifted her effortlessly off the floor.

Jenny began squirming, trying with all her might to free herself from Jason's clutches, but it was to no avail. She could feel his grip tightening, crushing her windpipe. Shortly after, she could feel blood dribbling down her chin and spilling onto the floor. She was dying and she knew it. She glanced over to the open kitchen door, where her so-called camp friends had ditched her. As she stared out into the sliver of woods she could see through the open door, her vision faded to black.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Kenny and Deborah crept over to the boathouse. She was glad that she was with Kenny. He seemed to have the entire camp memorized, which was great since they hadn't a map.

The boathouse was worn-down, just as it had been for all the years that Kenny had been working at Camp Crystal Lake. The boat rested at the dock just outside of the structure, but had no potential of going anywhere without the propeller.

"I did give this place a once-over, but I didn't check every little hiding place." Deborah admitted. "Let's hope that it's here."

"No kidding." Kenny agreed as he began opening all the cabinets and storage boxes in the building. When he closed one of the cabinets it creaked and slammed. Both counselors cringed and froze, listening intently for any response from the outside. Unfortunately, the boathouse didn't have proper doors that could be locked. It was built with large garage doors, which had long ago broke and were now stuck open. All Jason would have to do to get them would be show up.

"Quietly." Deborah insisted.

"Sorry." They both continued their search. The boathouse was wrecked and messy. Deborah coughed as dust kicked up as she pushed boxes and junk out of the way so she could properly search. She wanted to scream as she felt herself walk right into a spider web, but wouldn't allow it. Any noise could draw Jason to them, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Any luck?" He asked.

"No." Deborah said a bit deflated. "But where else could it be?"

Kenny flung his arms in the air without a clue. "Your guess is as good as mine."

She continued to search through junk. If it wasn't here, it could be anywhere. Part of her wanted to cry. This was like something out of a horror movie. It couldn't really be happening!

Kenny sensed her heightened emotions and tried to distract her. "So, what's up with you and Adam?"

Deborah shrugged and looked back at Kenny. "The same thing that's up with you and Chad."

"We're not..." He was so surprised by her accusation that he couldn't find the words. "We're not, like, a couple or anything." He protested.

"Neither are we." Deborah explained. "Just friends. Like you and Chad."

"Oh." Kenny said placing his hand on the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed. He was sure if the lights were on she'd have seen him blushing. "I just meant that you both seemed pretty close."

"He's nice." Deborah answered, her focus still mostly on finding the propeller. "I don't know if there's anything more, though. We barely know each other."

"Well, I didn't think Chad and I knew each other that well, but now I get the feeling he and I are more than just classmates." Kenny smiled at the thought of a new friend. "You never know. There might be more there for Adam and you."

"We'll see." Deborah said, wanting the conversation to end. "If we live that long."

Silence fell on the boathouse as they continued sifting through the junk on each shelf. There was all sorts of equipment, but none of it seemed to be what they were looking for. Kenny looked at much of it having no idea what it was, but Deborah was able to identify just about everything in the building.

"You really like fixing things, don't you?" Kenny asked.

"Sure." She answered. "Oh, Kenny." Her voice jumped up an octave.

"What?"

"I got it!" She grabbed something off the floor. It was greasy, but the shape was unmistakable. It was a propeller. "It's the propeller!" She squealed quietly.

"Okay. Let's get to fixing the boat." He suggested with a smile. Together, they both exited the boathouse and quickly made their way to the boat. Deborah marched right up to the boat with the propeller in hand. Kenny followed behind her, keeping his eyes peeled for Jason.

"Watch my back while I work. It shouldn't take lo-"

"Deborah! Stop!" Kenny shouted. The unmistakable sound of metal shifting rang loudly across the deck followed by the pain-drunk scream of Deborah. Kenny ran over to her. Her leg was caught in what looked like a small bear trap, probably more intended for coyotes or wolves, which was lucky for Deborah.

She continued to scream as she collapsed on the ground, her leg likely broken and bleeding. He knelt down and inspected the trap holding her leg down. It was pretty simple. "Deb, I know it hurts, but you gotta' be quiet." Kenny explained. "I can get you out of this, but if Jason hears you, we're as good as dead."

She took heavy, strained breaths and bit her lip trying to remain silent. Tears cascaded from her eyes as freely as blood ran from her ankle. Kenny looked down at her. "Deborah. This is gonna' hurt. I'm going to pull the trap open so you can get your leg free. Please don't scream." She nodded her understanding, but made no promises.

Kenny's biceps bulged as he pulled hard to re-open the trap. He was amazed at how resistant the mechanism was, but still overcame it. As soon as the trap was opened enough for her to slip out, Deborah had her leg free and rolled on the ground in severe pain. With her free, Kenny let the trap snap shut again and checked their surroundings. Jason didn't seem to be around.

He ran over to Deborah and inspected the wound. Her leg was definitely broken. She needed a bandage to stop the bleeding and she'd need someone to carry her around. She wasn't going to be moving on her own any time soon. He sighed. This sucked!

"Okay. I know it hurts. I want to help, Deborah, but the only way that leg is getting fixed is at a hospital. To get out of here, I need you to fix the propeller." He hated asking this of her, but it was their only hope.

"I can do it." She said through gritted teeth. She never considered herself tough, but she did think she was logical and practical. Kenny was right. She could only be helped if they escaped. They could only escape if the boat was fixed. "Help me." She groaned. Kenny picked her up and brought her over to the boat's motor.

"I'll hold you up." He said. "And you can fix it." She nodded. As soon as she leaned in to start work, an easily recognized scream resounded through the woods. "Oh no!" Kenny gasped, looking wide-eyed at Deborah. "That's Chad!" He placed her down nicely. "I gotta' go help him. Fix the boat! I'll be right back!"

"Kenny! Wait!" She begged.

"I'll be right back!" Kenny yelled as he picked up a spare 2x4 plank next to the boathouse and ran toward the woods. "Just get the boat fixed."

Deborah watched as Kenny ran away from her, leaving her injured, defenseless, and alone. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her mind off the sharp, searing pain constantly throbbing in her broken leg. She tried not to notice the large red puddle on the white wood of the dock. "He's not abandoning you." She told herself. "You're practical. Fix the boat. He'll be back." As she gave herself a quiet pep-talk, she got to work. Propellers were not hard to fix, so it wouldn't take her more than a few minutes, but the injury did add a bit of difficulty since the boat was still floating in the water. That meant she not only had to reach the propeller shaft on the motor, but she also had to be able to lean out far enough to pull the boat back toward the dock constantly for her to work. She pressed her glasses up on her nose and got to work.

Kenny ran through the dark woods toward the cries of his friend Chad. "Chad!" He hollered. "Where are you?" He could hear his heavy boots stomping against the dirt. If he kept running at this speed, he'd be too tired to effectively fight the killer. He stopped to catch his breath and orientate himself to his surroundings. As he did a full turn-around, he spotted the bright colors of Chad's preppy outfit zipping through the woods. "Chad!" Kenny yelled. "Over here!"

Chad ran over to Kenny and practically collapsed in his arms. He was sweaty and panicked. "Are you okay?" Kenny asked." Chad took desperate, heavy gasps of air as his eyes darted all around. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Chad said through a few coughs as his body demanded more oxygen. Out of the dark ran two more counselors, Brandon, and far behind him, J.R.. "He killed Jenny!" Chad practically screamed. "He just blocked her off from us and killed her."

"Jason?" Kenny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, man." Brandon explained in a panicked voice. "The big guy with the hockey mask."

"He was chasing us." Chad explained. Kenny placed Chad back up on his own legs and looked around for the unmistakable hockey mask of Jason Voorhees, but saw no sign of him.

"Where was he?" Kenny asked, the board firmly gripped in his large hand. He could feel his muscles bulging and tightening as he prepared for a fight.

Chad and the others looked around like gazelles for a lion. He was nowhere to be seen. "He was right behind us, I swear!"

"I believe you." Kenny said. "Is it possible that you outran him and he lost you?"

Chad and Brandon looked at J.R. "No, he was right behind us."

Suddenly, another too-familiar scream burst through the woods. "Deborah!" Kenny shouted. He took off back toward the boathouse.

Deborah pressed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose, just as they about fell off her face all together. The last thing she needed was to go practically blind during this murderous ordeal. She looked down the short narrow dock where Jason stood. She scooted back on her butt, trying to place as much distance between her and the killer. Her broken leg throbbed with each movement her body made to preserve its life.

"Please! Don't!" She screamed, desperately trying to keep herself alive. She looked at the boat. At least she had fixed the propeller. Maybe Kenny would find the gas and he could make it out. He could tell her parents that she had died bravely saving lives. Then the colleges would know that she would have been a great addition to their roster. She cried. Who was she kidding? The colleges didn't matter. She was about to die. Nothing mattered anymore.

Jason took slow, steady steps toward her. They were nothing like she imagined they would be. She expected him to walk more like a rabid dog. Quick. Wild. Eager. But he was nothing like that. He was calm. He was collected. He was patient. He was thorough. The thought made her very nervous. He approached her and she scooted away until she reached the edge of the dock. There was no way she could swim on a broken leg. If she went in that lake, she knew she was as good as dead. Though, at this point, she wasn't sure it made a difference. Drowning might be a better way to die.

"Deborah!" Kenny shouted as he flew through the air like a football star right at Jason. His large body collided with the equally large killer and they both tumbled violently to the ground. The board Kenny had been carrying bounced loudly against the dock. She couldn't see his face under the mask, but Deborah could tell that Jason did _not_ see that coming. She got the distinct feeling that he was more used to people only running from him.

She watched as Kenny and Jason wrestled on the dock. Jason flung his machete wildly through the air, but didn't seem to have the flexibility needed to reach Kenny's body. Behind the large wrestling figures stood other counselors. J.R., Brandon, and Chad. They just stood there watching. Deborah wasn't going to be like them. With all her might, she forced herself up on her feet. Her broken leg protested more than she knew a body could protest, almost forcing her to collapse gracelessly back to the ground. She wouldn't let that happen. She didn't consider herself tough, but she was practical. Practical would be to grab that board Kenny had dropped.

She cried out in pain as she hobbled toward the brawl. She was impressed by the strength Kenny portrayed as he fought the heartless killer. Once she had grabbed the board, she raised it high in the sky and swung it down hard.

"Ack!" Kenny cried. "Stop!" She dropped the board in shame. In her determination she had smacked the wrong guy!

"I'm so sorry." She cried as she took a step back. Her broken leg buckled under her and she fell back to the ground, injuring her tailbone as she smacked the wooden dock hard.

"Someone, help her!" Kenny screamed through grunts as he kept Jason pinned. Brandon, Chad and J.R. simply stared at Deborah. Finally, J.R. took off into the woods, leaving the group to deal with Jason alone.

"Help, dude!" Chad pleaded to Brandon as they both watched Kenny wrestle Jason and Deborah cry in pain on the floor.

"Screw this, man." Brandon said as he took off after J.R." He hollered back. "I'm not dying for that geek."

Chad stood on his heels and watched as Jason took the clear upper-hand in the brawl. "CHAD!" Kenny hollered. He felt like he had just been yelled at by a military sergeant. Despite his better judgment, Chad bolted into action. He ran passed the wrestling match and over to Deborah.

"Can you walk?" He asked in a raced voice.

"Not quickly." Deborah admitted through gritted teeth. "It hurts like hell. It's broken."

Chad sighed. "Okay. Here we go." He leaned down and picked her up like a gentleman taking a girl romantically in his arms. "I'll get us outta' here." Deborah was actually surprised at the ease with which Chad had been able to lift her. Maybe he wasn't the wuss he seemed to be. At least, not entirely. As he ran passed Kenny again with Deborah in his arms, he hollered to Kenny. "I'll meet you where we first met when I arrived this year!" He hoped Kenny understood what he was saying. And hopefully, the killer wasn't privy to that knowledge. As he ran, he looked down to Deborah. The pain must have gotten to her. She was passed out in his arms, her head pressed casually against his chest. He was surprised his racing heartbeat didn't wake her up. It felt like it was about to beat right out of his chest. Ignoring the fact that he was running through the woods without a free hand to turn on his flashlight, nor a map to guide him, he headed in the direction he was pretty sure the men's shower was.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Tiffany ran through the woods eager to put as much distance between her and that pyscho killer. She did regret having to leave Vanessa behind, but she was a track star. Surely she'd be able to run laps around the guy.

She wandered the dark woods until she heard thunder rumble through the sky and lightning dance across the clouds. "Great." She whispered to herself. "Anything to make this night more miserable than it already is."

She made her way to the administrative building in hopes of finding someone else. The lights were off, which didn't instill her with any hope. As she eased the door open, everything was too dark to clearly see the entire room. She closed the door quietly behind her and snuck about the cabin in search of anything that could help her. She had no luck in the lobby, so she decided to head back to the cafeteria.

Entering the cafeteria, Tiffany let out a horrified gasp, which was the best she could do to restrain herself from screaming. Her eyes about jumped out of her skull and her heart out of her chest as she saw the lifeless body of Jenny lying in a heap of bruises and blood on the floor. It looked as if she had been discarded with no concern. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh." She recited to herself like it was a mantra she lived by. "She's dead, Tiff." She whipped her hands around, as if she was vigorously trying to dry them off, to try to shake off all the nerves she was experiencing. "Shut up and keep calm or you'll be dead too."

Tiffany took deep breaths to try to keep herself from freaking out any more than she already was. She quickly tip-toed through the cafeteria and stepped carefully over the mess that was Jenny. "I'm so sorry, Jenny. You had bad hair, but you didn't deserve this." She carefully made her way into the kitchen. She scanned the room, but saw nothing of value.

She approached the open kitchen exit and saw the rain pouring outside. She had heard it pouring on the roof, but hadn't really stopped to think about just how hard it was coming down. She took a deep breath and prepared to venture out into the wet forest, but took notice of a closet in the corner of the kitchen. She assumed it was a pantry, but figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a look before she left.

The door was heavy and had a pretty serious lock on it, but was fortunately unlocked. She opened the door and realized it was not just a pantry, but a full-on storage room. She began looking through each box for anything useful.

One box was labeled "tools and electrical". She took a glance in it, but figured she'd find nothing she'd know how to use. There were walkie-talkies, some batteries, screw drivers, and the like. She pulled out an old fuse, which she recognized only because her brother fancied himself a mechanic or electrician and was always showing her his stupid fix-it-up stuff that she couldn't care less about. She threw it back in the box and looked for something more useful.

In another box labeled "Emergency" she found herself a flare gun with one flare in it. She wasn't sure what she'd use it for, but the idea of carrying a gun around did sound good to her. She then turned to leave and noticed a set of keys dangling on a hook near the door and a red canister of gasoline under it. She figured the keys were for the lawnmower or something, as well as the gas, but they both seemed like something good to have. Kenny had mentioned an abandoned car in the woods. Maybe it needed gas. Maybe these keys belonged to it. She wasn't really sure. Either way, they couldn't hurt to have. Sure, the gas was heavy, but she lifted weights, and if it slowed her down too much, she could always drop it.

With a bit of pride in her findings, Tiffany exited the cabin into the intense downpour. She hoped that the rain wouldn't cause her any more trouble than just ruining her hair, but she had heard stories of people getting struck by lightning. The way this night was going, she wouldn't be surprised if something like that happened to her. With a deep breath, she decided she needed to go back and find Vanessa. Maybe together they could get the car working or something.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

She had never really been one for company. Her siblings were always so social with anyone and everyone they came in contact with. She had always felt like her family looked down on her for her aversion to human contact. It wasn't that she hated people. She didn't really hate talking to people either. It was more like she just had no interest. It was a waste of her effort. Most people had nothing interesting to say anyway. Being alone just suited her better. Even now, with a killer on the loose in the camp, she felt like she was at an advantage from everyone else because she was totally comfortable being alone. The others were all so spastic and unreliable. Having them around would just increase her chances of being caught.

A.J. wiped under her eyes clean of the running mascara that couldn't hold up to the pouring rain. Her hair was matted to her head, just as her typically loose clothing was clinging to her body. The rain was merciless, but could maybe work to her advantage. She didn't mind getting wet, and she hoped that the rain would hinder Jason's ability to see her.

She was glad that she had worn her leather combat boots. They would stand up against the rain and even help her traction on the muddy ground. Creeping along the messy forest floor, A.J. watched for any movement in the dark forest. She figured it was safer to stay out of the cabins. That was where Jason would be looking. She also wanted to stay away from the main road and other counselors. He would surely be keeping an eye on those as well. Her best bet was to wait it out, solo. He'd never see her or hear her because she'd be out of sight and as still as a statue. She was patient. Even if it meant she had to remain still all night. But first, she needed to find that perfect hiding place.

The forest was full of large trees, big rocks, and steep ledges. Surely she could find a place to hide. It wasn't even five minutes through the woods when she saw the perfect place. She made her way slowly and silently to the edge of a large, stone ledge. She crept under it and took refuge from the rain and from the human eye in the little niche that it created. If she remained still, calm, and quiet, he'd never know she was there. She took a quiet breath. She knew that her decision meant that she'd be ignoring the screams of her fellow counselors. But who could blame her? It was survival of the fittest, or whatever. She had to watch out for herself. Besides, maybe Jason wouldn't find any of the counselors. For all A.J. knew, they'd already escaped.

Time seemed to be creeping by as she hid herself from the world, not that she knew how much time had gone by since this nightmare began. She had to constantly remind herself that worms, centipedes, and spiders were much less harmful than Jason. As she watched them creep over her arms and shoulders, she forced herself to remain still and quiet. The worst they could do was bite her. The worst Jason could do? Well, she didn't even want to think of that.

As she remained still, she heard the quiet, but unmistakable sound of footsteps racing toward her. She held her breath, praying that it wasn't Jason. It wasn't long before the fast-paced footsteps' source came into view. It was Tiffany. A.J. thought she looked scared and in a rush. Was Jason after her? Either way, she was _not_ helping her. She was committed to self-preservation. Nothing could get her to give away her location.

Tiffany ran by carrying what looked like a gas canister. A.J. wasn't sure what the slut figured she'd be doing with that, but it didn't really matter. A.J. wasn't going to be involved with her, so she could do whatever she wanted. Nothing was getting A.J. out of this niche. She was safe here, or at least, safer than out there. The others could fend for themselves.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Vanessa followed the large, leather jacket wearing man as he led her through the rainy forest toward the lake. With each step she took, she could feel her hand throbbing in pain. The bandage that Adam had applied to the wound was already soaked through with red. She didn't plan on telling him, but she was starting to feel sluggish. Her body was losing too much blood.

Lightning raced across the sky, giving just a glimpse of all the forest held within. Through the quick burst of light, she could make out what looked like the lake in the distance and a run-down shack next to it. She assumed it was the boathouse. Generally, Vanessa enjoyed listening to the sound of water dancing along the shoreline, but with the heavy downpour of rain, all that could be heard was the violent pounding of the water droplets against the varying surfaces it hit. A crash and rumble of thunder echoed across the forlorn camp as they moved closer to the shore.

"Oh my gosh!" Adam hollered. Though, none of it could be heard over the rain, there was clearly a brawl going down. Kenny was fighting with Jason, but it was pretty clear that Jason was winning. Adam took off in a dash to help Kenny, but almost immediately slipped on the wet mud and face-planted to the ground.

Vanessa took that as her cue. She had planned on finding Tiffany and getting out of this hell, but maybe saving her boyfriend would be just as meaningful. With all the energy she had in reserve, she forced herself to speed toward the conflict. As she approached she watched as Jason forced a drenched Kenny painfully to the splinter-covered docks.

"Hey, Jason!" Vanessa screamed. "Why don't you take on someone with a bit more attitude." She said as forcefully as she could. Jason looked at her for a moment, but then turned back to the head counselor. With his large boot on Kenny's broad chest, He raised his machete in the air. "No!" Vanessa screamed as she charged the killer, her wrench high in the air. As soon as she was within arm's distance, she brought the wrench down on Jason thick skull as forcefully as she could manage.

Jason's arms dropped to his side and he stood frozen for a second. Like a creepy statue, Jason's body remained totally frozen as his head turned slowly toward Vanessa. She had pissed him off, that was clear. As the rain cascaded down his white mask, Jason stepped off of Kenny and headed toward the track star.

"Yeah, you son of a bitch!" Vanessa taunted. "Come get me!" She stepped back from him with renewed vigor. She could do this. She could save Kenny. "Help him!" She yelled to Adam. He nodded and waited for Vanessa's plan to come to fruition.

Jason took off at a jog after her. Vanessa took that as the gunshot at the start of her race. She turned and bolted off into the woods, Jason on her heels. She looked back to see Adam making his way onto the docks to aid Kenny. She smiled, a bit proud of herself.

The heavy rain made it difficult to see where she was going, but the last thing she wanted to do was lead Jason to Tiffany, if she was even still at Camp Crystal Lake. Her hand throbbed with each heart beat that pounded in her chest. She looked behind her. Jason was still there, and he looked as calm as ever. It was like running didn't exhaust him in the slightest. Vanessa looked back at her hand. The blood was running like Niagara Falls. She was getting lightheaded. She wasn't an idiot. She knew how this was going to end.

She ran for a couple more minutes before her body told her she was done. Despite her mental readiness to go on, her body had simply lost too much blood. It was weak. It was tired. She finally stopped and faced Jason. He approached her with the slow confidence of a vulture knowing its prey was already as good as dead. He had no need to rush. Vanessa was done for.

Her hand gripped the wrench so tightly it actually hurt a bit. She looked at his hand. It gripped the machete just as tightly. "Come get me, you bastard." She hissed through gritted teeth. He took the taunt with the same level-headedness he always portrayed. He was practically the poster boy of calm and collected killer.

As soon as he came within reach, she swiped the wrench fast horizontally across his face. It collided with his mask hard enough to create a crack. His head snapped to the left with the strike. "You like that, huh?!" She hollered. "Here's another!" She unleashed all her anger and fear out on him. She swung and swung. Each flail of the wrench made contact, but he wouldn't go down. She couldn't understand him. How could someone come back from the dead? And how was this not killing him? If this was anyone else, his head would be crushed in.

She swung again, but Jason grabbed her arm mid-swing. Vanessa tried to break free, but his grip was like iron. Despite her hardest efforts, Jason's arm didn't even budge. He had her. He lifted her off the ground by her arm and swung her violently, like she was simply dead-weight, right into the large trunk of a tree. She screamed as her body flew through the air, but dropped silently to the ground with nothing more than the horrible snap of her spine. Her corpse lied still on the ground as rain poured over it.

Without even a moment's consideration of the new body he had created, Jason moved on to his next target. He had no intention of letting any of these kids escape.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

J.R. ran as hard as he could, which even he had to admit, wasn't very hard. He was no idiot. He knew he was overweight. He knew he was lazy. He knew he was out of shape. But he never knew he was going to be running for his life from Jason Voorhees. A quick reminder of just how slow he really was came as Bugsy ran up beside him, just as scared from the horrible encounter with Jason on the dock as he was.

J.R. never considered himself a mean guy, nor a coward. He watched scary movies and stuff all the time. They never scared him, but encountering Jason in real life, that scared him. He knew deep down that he should have never left Deborah and Kenny alone, but they weren't his responsibility. He was responsible for one person, himself. Besides, Kenny was a big guy, and Chad was there with him. He could help.

Bugsy ran passed him and toward a cabin in the distance. "Hey, wait!" J.R. cried. He tried to catch up, but his lungs wouldn't let him. He had reached his top speeds. Bugsy flew into the cabin's front door and held the door open impatiently for J.R. to get there.

"Come on, you slob!" Bugsy shouted. "Move your ass!" J.R. ignored his taunts. He was used to them from school. He got to the cabin and collapsed on the floor, gasping desperately for air. Bugsy slammed the door shut and swung down the old wooden barricade over it. "Do you have asthma? Or are you just that out of shape?"

J.R. tried to answer, but he needed to catch his breath. Instead, he just stuck his index finger into the air, signaling for Bugsy to give him a minute. Bugsy rolled his eyes, throwing his arms into the air like he could not believe what he was dealing with at the moment. "I..." J.R. started. He took a few more deep breaths. "I don't do sports and stuff."

"No shit, detective." Bugsy started looking around the cabin. "What _are_ you good at?"

"Computers." J.R. explained as he stood up. "I'm good with computers."

"How am I not surprised?" Bugsy said nonchalantly as he kept his focus on searching the cabin for anything that could be of use. He found a lead pipe in one of the old chests in the rear of the cabin. "I guess this'll do." He said holding it up for J.R. to see. He just shrugged in response. "Find yourself a weapon. You never know what's gonna' happen."

"I'm not really a fighter." J.R. said.

"Well, I'm not fightin' for you like your some damsel-in-distress."

"Fine." J.R. said through a loud, irritated groan. He found a broom and held it up. "How about this?"

"Gimme' that, freak." Bugsy took the broom and effortlessly kicked the head off, leaving J.R. with a makeshift spear. "This'll work better."

"If you say so, ya freakin' brute."

"Brute may be your only hope for survival at this point."

"I thought you weren't fighting for me."

"Don't count on it." Bugsy said, staring at J.R. with frustrated eyes. "Is there anything else you can do to get us outta' here?" He asked. "I mean, that other freak geek...ummm..." He couldn't think of her name.

"Deborah?" J.R. asked.

"Yeah, the glasses girl." He affirmed. "She could fix like, anything. Can't you?"

"Well, I'm sure whatever she can fix, I can fix better."

"Okay, macho-man. Can you fix a car?"

"Depends on what's wrong, but if you're referring to the one just missing gas and a battery? That I can fix."

"Okay. Then you can stay with me."

"Excuse me?" J.R. looked down at Bugsy. Height was the only physical advantage he had over the jock, but it didn't seem like he was at all intimidated.

"What?" Bugsy asked with a 'duh' face. "I sure as hell wasn't gonna' drag you around if you didn't have any use."

"Real nice."

"I'm not a nice guy. I'm a survivor. I'm in this to keep me alive. Me!" He used his thumb to point at himself for emphasis.

"Okay." J.R. said in near disbelief. "We need to find the car parts, then."

"Do you know where the car itself is?"

"Yeah. I saw it when I was cleaning out the cabins farthest to the west of camp. It's stuck on a dirt path there."

"Which way's west?" Bugsy asked.

"That way." J.R. pointed out the window to the right of them.

"Okay. That's our plan. Let's get this car fixed and get outta' here."

"What about the others?" J.R. asked.

Bugsy shrugged. "We can tell the cops once we're in town."

"Sounds good to me." J.R. agreed as he stepped closer to Bugsy, intending to follow his lead.

"What? You're following me?" Bugsy asked. "So he gets me first?"

"No. You're just a better leader." J.R. said unconvincingly.

"Right..."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Adam helped Kenny up from the ground. "Where did Vanessa go?" Kenny asked. Adam got the big man to his feet and looked around the edge of the woods.

"I have no idea. I was watching you." Adam confessed.

"Shit." Kenny stomped his foot down hard on the dock, breaking a hole in the wood.

"She's not going to make it." Adam said with sadness. "She had already been severely injured. She's lost too much blood."

"Then we have to find her!" Kenny shouted, starting off into the woods.

"Kenny!" Adam shouted. He ran to catch up with the head counselor. "Kenny!" He said again as he came up beside him. "She didn't want us to come find her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because we had both decided we were going to do whatever we could to save our friends."

"Even if that meant being left to die by your friends?" Kenny asked in disbelief.

"She already helped a friend escape once thinking that it would cost her life." Adam explained. Kenny was astonished.

"Maybe she's nicer than I gave her credit for." He confessed. "I always just thought she was a shallow jerk." Kenny took a deep breath. "There's a lot more to people than you ever know, huh?"

"That's for sure." Adam agreed. "Vanessa's worried about Tiffany. That's who she wants to be safe." He explained. "I say we try to find her." He sighed himself. "And I'm worried about Deborah. I have no idea where she is, or if she's even still alive." He sounded incredibly worried, which struck Kenny as a bit amazing. He had just met the girl and he was already so concerned for her, and they came from what looked to be the opposite sides of the social spectrum.

"She's alive." Kenny said. Adam's face brightened up. "And I can take you to her."

"What are we waiting for?" Adam said with clear excitement in his voice and features. Together, they took off into the forest. The rain hadn't let up even a bit. Their clothes were soaked through and clinging to their skin, which constricted their range of motion more than either of them would have liked. With each step they took, both the young men could feel their feet getting heavier, not from exhaustion or anything having to do with their bodies, but simply because the ground was so saturated with water that the mud was layering onto the bottoms of their boots. Both of their once clean outfits were now entirely splattered with mud and blood.

It was a longer run than Kenny thought it would be, but he wouldn't complain. They at least had had enough luck that Jason never showed up. The thought did make him a bit nervous. If Jason wasn't with them, who was he with? Was it possible that he was gone? That all the counselors were evading him as well as they were? Probably not. He was out there, and he was going to kill someone else.

They arrived to the entrance of the male counselors' shower house. "Here?" Adam asked.

Kenny shrugged through a grin. "This is where Chad told me to meet them."

"Chad's here?" Adam asked sounding instantly upset.

"Yeah, so?"

"He's kinda' a dick."

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Is now really the time to worry about who's nice and who's not?"

"No, but I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, which is probably farther than you'd think."

"I trust him."

"He's a punk. He's out for one person: himself." Adam explained. "He'd leave you for dead if it meant saving his own ass."

"We're not ones to judge." Kenny said. "We just ditched Vanessa." Adam's eyes met the ground at those words. "Plus, he's my friend. Try to put up with him."

"I don't really have a choice. It's not like I'm gonna' kill him." Adam shrugged as Kenny turned and entered the showers. He would head in in just a moment. He needed to collect himself. He'd tried his best to tolerate Chad, but he couldn't stand his attitude. Even from just the one encounter he'd had with him in the cabin, Adam knew he was a shallow little punk.

Deborah sat on the concrete floor, clutching her ankle, trying to hold it steady and ease the pain, but it wasn't working well. Chad leaned against the grimy wall on the other side of the showers. He hadn't spoken a word to her since he dropped her, less gracefully than she really appreciated, onto the shower floor. She tried not to hold it against him. He was clearly freaking out. She figured he was giving it all he had just to remain as collected as he was. She felt the same way. She was generally a pretty rationale, collected gal, but in this situation she felt like going crazy and just screaming and crying.

She watched as the red flowing from her leg slowly pooled around her, staining her jeans a deep crimson. Suddenly, someone large entered the showers. Chad screamed and Deborah perked up in shock, unable to stand as her body truly wanted to and flee. However, it didn't take more than just a moment for both the frightened counselors to realize that the figure before them wasn't a threat, but their caring boss, Kenny.

"Kenny!" Chad said in relief. "You about gave Deborah a heart attack." Deborah gave him an odd glare at his comment. She was pretty certain Chad was the screamer, not her.

"Sorry." Kenny said, stomping his mud-covered shoes over to his wet friend and hugging him tightly. Chad's face scrunched up as he felt his slightly-having-dried clothes get immediately soaked through again as they absorbed the water and sweat off his friend. "I'm just glad you're both okay." Kenny said with sincerity as he released Chad and headed over to Deborah and knelt by her, giving her a delicate hug. "How you doing?"

"What the hell! Deborah!" Adam freaked out as he entered the shower. "What happened!?" He ran over to her and squatted beside Kenny. Deborah actually blushed. She knew it was stupid. They were worrying over her because there was a murderer on the loose and her leg was bleeding out, but she still had never had such large, handsome men give her so much attention before. It was flustering and sweet.

"It's nothing." She lied, trying to impress Adam and not cause any worry for Kenny.

"Like hell it's nothing." Kenny countered. "You frickin' got caught in a bear trap."

"Seriously!?" Adam about yelled.

"Dude, asshole, keep it down." Chad hissed. "We don't exactly want Jason to hear us."

"Seriously, dude?!" Adam snapped. "What difference would it make to you?" He marched toward Chad. "You'd just run away like a little girl." Chad's face turned really hostile to the tough guy, but he said nothing.

"Guys." Kenny said, but they both ignored him.

"What's that face, punk?" Adam asked with a threatening edge to his voice. He gave Chad a push. "I'm sick of your attitude. I'm sick of your preppy clothes." He pushed him again. "I'm sick of your screaming." He pushed him again, before he himself was suddenly shoved into the wall pretty hard.

"Back off, Adam." Kenny threatened.

"Seriously?" Adam scoffed, unable to understand Kenny's commitment to Chad. "You're defending him?" He gestured at Chad. "You know he's only out for himself, right? I've just met him this week and I already can see that."

"He's my friend." Kenny insisted. "And he's not out for himself. He's part of us."

"Us?" Adam asked.

"Yes, the counselors. The people who aren't Jason."

"There's no Us, Kenny." Adam said. "Trust me, I wish there was. I'm all for taking care of people. But he's not Us. He's one of the people who make it impossible for the Us to exist. He's the one that would sacrifice his friends to keep himself alive. He's-"

Suddenly Kenny punched Adam hard across the jaw. Adam didn't take that well. He retaliated. Kenny and Adam got into a man-on-man fight right in the middle of the showers. Chad stepped back and cowered in the corner of the room. These guys were out of his league. The last thing he wanted was to get brought into the fight, even if the fight was entirely over him.

Deborah glared through her glasses at the fight taking place right before her. She rolled her irritated eyes. "Boys…" She complained to herself. "I'm not a boy, I'm a man." She mocked Adam's words under her breath. "Yeah, right." She braced herself for pain, and slowly forced herself up onto her feet. She did it all without any of the boys in the room even noticing. She had to fight to keep her eyes dry of tears. Tears would ruin what she was attempting.

Once she was on her feet, though just barely, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Knock it OFF!" She shouted. Part of her knew she shouldn't have. That would draw their camp killer right to them, but at the same time, the boys' fight wasn't exactly quiet either. Plus, the last thing the team needed was a schism.

Immediately at Deborah's voice, both men ceased their fighting and looked at the wounded girl. Her eyes accused them severely, and they both felt shame. While Kenny couldn't say he was over all that Adam had said about Chad, he had to admit, fighting in this situation was the _last_ thing they needed to be doing.

Deborah addressed them. "We do not have the luxury of bickering. Jason is going to kill us. We need to stick together. Kenny, Adam, you are both big guys. I hate to make it sound like you're just tools, but we need you. You're our best defense against Jason. That's just a matter of fact. If I'm going to get anywhere, then I need someone to help me. Chad, that's you. Now, I'll help how I can, but I'm broken. I don't know what else I can do."

"You don't need to do anything, Deb." Kenny said, his head hung low in shame. "You already fixed the boat. That's something no one else coulda' done."

"J.R. could have." She said.

Chad laughed mockingly. "Yeah, right."

"My point is…" Deborah continued. "We need all of us." Suddenly, someone else ran into the showers. The group all braced themselves as their brains worked quickly to understand who it was their eyes were looking at.

"Oh my word!" Tiffany gasped. "You guys need to the _shut_ the _hell up!_ " She looked at them in wild disbelief. "I mean, what the hell? I could hear you all the way from in the woods, and it's _pouring_ out!" It was clear she wasn't lying. Her clothes were sogging wet and her hair was drenched and matted to her head.

"Shit." Adam said, almost unable to believe they had gotten that out of hand.

Deborah's eyes fell on one very important object in the room. "Is that gas canister full?" She asked, a sparkle of hope in her eye. Tiffany shook it. The clear sound of liquid sloshing around inside could be heard. "That means we can get the boat running."

The group all lit up at the good news. Maybe they weren't doomed to die, though, it was still too early to be sure.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

J.R. followed Bugsy through the woods. He had thought that letting someone else go first would ease his fears, but there was something just as equally frightening about traveling in the back. The woods were dark and the rain was pouring down. J.R.'s glasses were riddled with running rain drops, so visibility wasn't as high as he'd have liked it to be. Anyone could sneak up behind him and get him without him or Bugsy hearing it over the rain or seeing it in the dark.

They made their way west under J.R.'s assumption that whoever took the battery out of the car wouldn't have traveled far with it. Granted, he had no real reason to believe that such a thought was true, but it made more sense than assuming he'd take it far east. Batteries were heavy. Who would want to carry it across the entire camp?

"Will the battery even work?" Bugsy asked.

J.R. had a hard time hearing him over the rain, but he made out what he had asked. He rolled his eyes. Honestly, jocks could be so dense. "Yes." He answered in just short of a shout. "While I would never recommend throwing your car battery into the lake and expecting it to work, they are built to withstand water."

"I didn't ask for a whole lecture. You coulda' just said 'yes'". Bugsy sounded annoyed. J.R. rolled his eyes again. Honestly, jocks could be suck jerks.

They reach another cabin that still had its lights on and decided to give it a shot. The door was still unlocked, so they assumed no one had been there before. "Come on." Bugsy ordered J.R. into the cabin before closing and locking the door. J.R. made his way around the cabin opening each window. "What are you doing?"

"Giving us alternate escape routes." J.R. explained like he was talking to a child. For all he knew, Bugsy's mental capacities were that of a five-year-old.

"Not a bad idea." He complimented his nerdy comrade. They both tore into the cabin's various storage units. Bugys searched through wardrobes, dressers, and end tables, while J.R. searched the rear of the cabin where the large storage crates were. "Anything?" Bugsy hollered, disappointed in his own lack of findings.

"I guess." J.R. called back. "Most of this stuff is just cleaning supplies and campfire equipment, but I did find a map of the camp." He reentered the main room with Bugsy. "It could help."

"What's a map going to do for us?" Bugsy asked.

"Well, look." J.R. said, pointing to an icon on the map."

"What is it?"

"It says it's the 'mechanic's shed'." J.R. explained. "If you asked me, I'd say the most likely person to have taken a battery out of a car would be someone with mechanic's tools. Or even a mechanic himself. Plus, that would be a logical place to look for gas."

Bugsy nodded in agreement. "Okay." He turned back toward the door. "Would you be able to recognize a car battery if you saw one?"

"Are you serious?" J.R. asked in disbelief. "Just how stupid are you?"

"Shut up, asshole." Bugsy lashed out. He got quieter. "My dad always fixes the car."

"Well, if we make it out of here alive, I suggest you go out and fix the car with your dad. You might just learn something, assuming your brain's not too dense."

"Whatever." Bugsy said, clearly paying little attention to the insult. "Let's just head toward that mechanic's shed."

"Good idea." J.R. agreed. "By the looks of it, it's pretty far from here. It's kinda' out by itself."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Okay." Deborah stated, trying to remain on her feet, but the pain was unbearable. Just before she collapsed back to the floor, Adam swept over and supported her under her shoulder. It didn't take all the pain away, but it was relief that she welcomed. "We have the means to fix the boat. But..." She looked around the room. "We do have a problem."

Everyone looked at her with a nervousness. Chad especially looked worried. Kenny spoke up. "There's only two seats on the boat."

"Yeah..." Deborah confirmed in a deflated voice. "Honestly, I'm not sure how well this'll work. The boat's old. Plus, it's a small, light boat. Any more than two of us, and I'm not so sure the boat will float."

"So, what?" Tiffany asked. "Are you saying that we have to leave people behind?"

Deborah slowly nodded her head, as if she was afraid that the answer she gave may start another fight. It would be five people battling over two seats on the lifeboat.

"Well..." Kenny started. "Whoever takes the boat just needs to take it to town and inform the police what is happening."

"I vote the girls go." Adam chimed in.

"I second that." Kenny agreed.

"Wait, guys." Deborah started. I can stay behind." She explained. "I can draw his attention."

"No way." Adam denied her well-intended proposition. "You're hurt. The rest of us can still run and fight. We've got a chance. You need a hospital."

"Who'll take me to the hospital?" Deborah asked.

"Tiffany will." Kenny said matter-of-factly.

She nodded her head. "I will."

"Besides..." Adam added. "You girls are the ones who found the parts and fixed the boat. It's only fair that you two get out."

"Fair?" Chad added sounding furious. "How is that fair?" He looked like he was in major-freak-out mode. "Who was it that had to carry Deborah all the way over here just so she wouldn't die?" He marched into the center of the showers. "And who really cares if Tiffany lives or dies? She's a bitch. Sometimes, you have to reap what you sow."

"You're really not one to talk." Adam said, his voice intimidating.

"It's fine." Deborah said softly. "He did carry me. He can take my place."

"No way." Kenny insisted. "You need a doctor. Chad will be fine here."

"Like hell I will!" Chad protested. "I'm not going to wait around to die for another minute." He lunged at Tiffany and attempted to take the gas canister from her, but she socked him straight in the nose. In one smooth motion, Adam handed Deborah over to Kenny and shoved Chad off of Tiffany.

Kenny spoke firmly, but tenderly with Chad. "Dude, these girls need to get out. They'll send help." Chad looked at him with furious and hurt eyes. "We'll make it until the police get here. Nothing's going to happen to us."

Chad sighed loudly. "Screw you guys. I hope my death weighs heavily on you." With that, he turned and sprinted out into the pouring rain and the darkness of the night.

"Chad!" Kenny shouted, desperate to get his friend to calm down.

"Kenny." Tiffany spoke before Kenny could take a step toward Chad. "Let him go."

"You know I can't do that, Tiffany." Kenny looked at her with sad features, like a man who knew how the night would end. Tiffany actually felt a tear forming in her eye. She quickly approached the large man and gave him a peck on the cheek. He blushed. He worked his best to keep his eyes from staring out her soaked, now-see-through shirt that revealed her pink bra.

"What?" She asked in a sultry voice.

He cleared his throat. "Your shirt." He started. "I can see though it."

"Oh." She said, seeming quite unconcerned.

Kenny quickly removed his large flannel shirt and draped it over her. It was so big on her it almost looked like she was wearing a blanket. "To cover yourself." He explained, feeling like a moron.

"Thanks." She whispered before letting the room fall painfully quiet, like a crowd waiting for the guillotine to drop.

"I've always had a crush on you." He blurted out in the silence.

She giggled. "I know."

With those words lingering in his head, he bolted out into the rain, his bare chest feeling the frozen pelts of rain as he sprinted through the woods. "Chad!" He hollered, determined to find his friend at all costs.

The three remaining in the showers all stood in awkward silence, like they were strangers at a wake. Finally, Tiffany broke the silence. "That was awkward." She laughed humorlessly, forcing back the tears that wanted to ruin whatever pathetic excuse for makeup was still on her face. "We should get going."

"I can't run back to the boat." Deborah explained. "My ankle."

"Oh." Adam reached into his jacket. "Let me at least wrap it." He knelt down to Deborah's ankle." I'll tell you the same thing I told Vanessa. I'm no doctor, so this might hurt."

"You saw Vanessa?" Tiffany sounded excited. "Where is she?"

Adam stopped wrapping Deborah's ankle and gave Tiffany a look that let her know everything she never wanted to know. "Oh, gosh." She gasped, unable to quite comprehend what that meant. No more late night phone calls with Vanessa. No more shopping sprees. No more double dates. No more aerobics together. No more ice cream outings. Nothing. She would never do anything with or see her best friend again.

"Tiffany..." Deborah said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Tiffany began crying openly, falling to her knees on the floor. Adam finished up Deborah's leg and squatted next to Tiffany as she cried. "She cared a lot about you." He explained. She just nodded her understanding. He wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. "When I found her, she was hurt, but determined to keep the killer away from you." Adam told her. "And then she led him away so that Kenny and I could get away. She's a hero."

"She's always been a hero." Tiffany cried. "Always."

"Take as much time as you need. "Deborah said starting to cry herself. "We can wait."

"No." Tiffany said, determined to make Vanessa's death worth something. "She died so we could get away. So let's get away. We can mourn her later." Both Adam and Deborah nodded in agreement.

"We'll give her a proper remembrance in town." Deborah offered. Adam came over and helped her off the ground.

"If you can carry the gas, I can carry Deborah." Adam explained. Tiffany affirmed with a nod. Adam shoved his baseball bat down his left pant leg, and forced his waistband over it so it wouldn't fall. It looked ridiculous, and wasn't great for running, but it would have to suffice for the trip there. "Let's go." Adam prompted them into motion, lifting Deborah into his arms and heading out of the showers and into the heavy rain. Deborah wrapped her arms around Adam as he led the girls toward the boat. Tiffany wrapped Kenny's over-sized shirt tightly around her, trying to warm her body a bit from the chilly rain. She forced her hair out of her face and made sure her flare gun was still in her shorts' waistband. She wasn't sure what she'd use it for, but it seemed like a good thing to have.

The trek through the woods wasn't anything remarkable, which the group was glad for. Deborah kept her eyes bolting from one place to another, making herself the self-appointed watchman, since she couldn't walk herself. It was the least she could do to make herself feel less useless. Tiffany was excited to get to the boat. The gas canister was really starting to feel heavy. But even more so, she was just excited about the possibility of escaping this horrible camp. She had decided for herself, the rest of her life was going to spent in civilization, far away from nature and camps. This stuff just wasn't for her anymore.

Without any warning, a throwing knife zipped through the air and plunges itself into Deborah's shin. She screamed out in pain. "What the hell?" Adam hollered, looking in every direction for the culprit. Tiffany shrieked and pointed at a menacing figure approaching them from their left. His features were blocked by the shades of night and the merciless rain, but they all knew exactly who it was.

Jason Voorhees.

Adam quickly placed Deborah on the ground, where she collapsed, fumbling with the knife now stuck in her shin. She grimaced as she gripped the knife and pulled. It came out easily, followed by a rush of blood, but all-in-all Deborah was relieved. The knife hadn't gone in too deep. It hurt, but it wasn't going to threaten her life. Plus, it was in the same leg that was already out of commission, so she could still hobble herself around as needed.

"Get to the boat!" Adam yelled. "I've got this." He pulled the baseball bat out of his pant leg, threw his leather jacket to the ground, and readied himself for the fight of his life. Jason took the bait. Maybe it was because he judged Deborah to be prey just waiting to be sliced and Tiffany as a helpless target that would pose no challenge to catch later. Or maybe it was because Jason liked the thrill of hunting someone that looked to be about his size. Someone that could provide him with a bit of entertainment. Adam wasn't really sure. He was just glad that Jason was after him and leaving the girls alone. "Don't wait for me!" Adam yelled. "If Jason's after you, then it's because I'm dead."

The words about stabbed Deborah right in the heart, but she knew she didn't have time to argue with him. Let the men be men. "Come on." Tiffany said through gritted teeth, as she tossed the gas canister on the ground and helped Tiffany to her feet. "I'll get you to the boat, then I'll come back for the gas."

Adam watched as the girls slowly disappeared into the rainy night. He gripped the wooden bat as best he could in the rain. His pants were so wet they stuck to his legs, and his white tank-top was soaked through so much you could barely tell he was wearing it. But none of that mattered. His eyes were on one thing and one thing alone. Jason.

As Jason approached him, he continued to take slow steps back, trying to lead him farther away from the ditched gas canister and create more distance between him and the girls. It was working. Jason was playing into it perfectly.

In less long strides that Adam was hoping, Jason made his way within arm's reach of him. He swung the bat as hard as he could, striking Jason clear across the head. Jason went down like a bag of bricks, hitting the ground with an audible pound. "You like that, asshole?" He taunted the killer. "Come on! Come and get me!" He hollered at the masked freak as he took more steps back, leading him farther into the woods.

Jason rose like Nosferatu from the muddied ground. He looked un-phased by the assault he had endured. Without even a hint of concern, worry, or remorse in his body language, Jason calmly approached Adam again. The threat of the baseball bat didn't seem to even register to him.

Adam swung again, putting all his might into the swing, like he did in Little League, always aiming for that home run. Unfortunately, just as he never got the home run, so too did Jason withstand the force as if it was nothing. He swung again. Then again. His constant barrage of assaults did seem to slow Jason down, but it didn't take more than a few seconds for Adam to know that he was fighting an impossible fight. Jason Voorhees was not playing by the same rules everyone else was. Somehow, it seemed he was outside of death's reach.

Jason reached out with one menacing hand and clutched Adam by the shoulder-strap of his tank top. He pulled Adam close in and raised his machete to the air, but Adam was a quick thinker. He grabbed the tank top and tore it down the middle, freeing his body from it. Jason stood with his machete in the air and Adam's tank top in his hand. He looked like a statue, frozen under the rain. Adam backed up a bit, unsure of what Jason was doing.

"Come on ya' big freak!" Adam taunted, scanning the woods for any sign of Tiffany. He hadn't seen her, so the gas canister was probably still in the woods, but he wasn't sure. In this darkness and the heavy rain, it was more than possible that he simply didn't see her run by.

Jason slowly moved again, like an angry bear coming out of hibernation. Adam knew this was it. He prayed that Tiffany was hurrying. He couldn't hold him off much longer.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Chad!" The deep, desperate voice of Kenny broke through the thundering of the rain. A.J. froze, keeping her eyes peeled for the large man. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her. He was the kind of guy that would try to convince her to go with him. She was not about to leave her hiding spot. It had served her well so far.

As she peered out into the rain and trees, the figure of Kenny finally came into view. He was stomping recklessly through the woods, seemingly unconcerned of Jason hearing or finding him. She watched the big man as he drew closer to her. Her eyebrow raised in question as she noticed him. He had no shirt. While she never would have considered herself interested in Kenny, he was eye-candy for her, even in this nightmare. His skin was shiny from the water and his body hair was pressed firmly against his skin. She looked at herself and mentally rolled her eyes. Why was it that guys always looked so good, even when their hair's all messed up? Whenever her hair was messed up she couldn't help but feel like the bride of Frankenstein.

He came dangerously close to her hiding spot. She feared he would see her, but he never did. "Chad!" He hollered out again. She hadn't seen Chad run by, but that didn't mean he hadn't. If Kenny hadn't been making so much noise, there was a good chance that A.J. never would have focused enough to notice him going by. After she had stolen just a few more glances at his large body, he slipped away into the wet night.

She couldn't quite understand it. Chad wasn't exactly the nicest person on the block. How did he deserve a friend like Kenny? She hoped that they found each other, not for Chad's sake, but for Kenny's. The longer he was out looking for the jerk, the more danger he was in. She may not have been that interested in Kenny, but she certainly didn't want to find out he had died.

Apart from Kenny running by, the night remained rainy and cold, dark but relatively uneventful. Sure, a major event was unfolding at Camp Crystal Lake that night, but since she had found her hiding place, not much had happened to A.J. Just some loud cracks of thunder and some bugs crawling on her. All-in-all, she was getting off lucky.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

The mechanic's shed was right where the map had said it would be. Both J.R. and Bugsy were glad for that. The lights were off and when J.R. tried to turn them on, nothing happened. "Well, the light's dead." He informed his jock partner.

"It's fine. Kenny gave us these flashlights." Bugsy said, flipping his on. They'd had them all night, but he was afraid that the light from it would alert Jason of their position, so he had left it turned off. Using the flashlight's light, he began searching the mechanic's cabin for anything useful.

"Oh, yeah!" J.R. celebrated as he showed off a shotgun.

"Nice!" Bugsy praised. "Is it loaded?"

J.R. checked. "It's got one shot." While the ammo predicament did put a damper on the mood, it didn't kill it completely. One shot from a shotgun was better than no shotgun at all. J.R. left the makeshift broomstick spear on the ground and slung the shotgun over his shoulder.

"Seriously?" Bugsy asked. "You're taking the shotgun? Do you even know how to shoot it?"

"Yes." J.R. said defensively. "I shoot with my dad all the time."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Just find the car parts." They both got back to searching. The front room seemed to be, apart from a shotgun, full of useless parts and junk. J.R. moved onto the second room with Bugsy close behind him.

Bugsy shined the light slowly across the small room, being careful to hit every space so they could see. As his flashlight passed across the room's floor along the wall, J.R. grabbed his arm suddenly and shouted. "Stop!" He ran over to where the flashlight was shining. "The battery." He picked it up with obvious difficulty.

"Is it heavy?" Bugsy asked.

"Duh." J.R. responded like a child. "It _is_ a car battery."

J.R. lugged it around in the room, both of his hands occupied by its weight. They both continued to search. There was one final room in the back. Bugsy entered it with his fingers literally crossed. If there wasn't gas in here, then he had no idea where to look next. The room was small and full of metal shelves and some lockers. They both took some shelves and found all sorts of things. There were walkie-talkies, tools, light bulbs, various boots, scrap wood, lighter fluid, tires, and all other kinds of junk.

Bugsy went over to the lockers and pulled on the handle. It wouldn't open. He looked down. There was a padlock on it. "Now what?" J.R. asked. "What if the gas is in there and we can never get to it 'cuz it's locked?"

"I'll get to it." Bugsy said with confidence. He took the pipe in his hand and swung it at the lock with all his might. It made contact, but rang out the loudest metal-on-metal _CLANG_ he'd heard in a long time. He looked nervously over at J.R. who looked desperately at him not to do that again. "Cross your fingers." He swung again. And then again. J.R.'s heart was pounding like a drum. He was sure that Jason had heard the racket Brandon was making.

With one final swing, the padlock fell to the ground as a mangled heap of metal. "Told you I'd get us in."

"Let's just hope the noise was worth it."

"No kidding." Bugsy said while nervously biting his lower lip. He reached for the locker's handle and pulled. It was stuck from the dents that he had put in it with his pipe, but after a few tough tugs it screeched open. Both of them gasped. Before them was a small, plastic, red jug labeled 'gasoline'. "That's it, right?" Bugsy asked excited.

J.R. audibly laughed at the stupid question. "Dude, it says 'gasoline'. I don't think it's full of water." Bugsy reached and grabbed the red container. "That's all we need." J.R. said through a hopeful smile.

"Let's get to that car." Bugsy said as he passed by J.R., grabbing the battery out of his hands as he did so. "This thing isn't heavy." He laughed at J.R. "I think you're just a wuss."

"Don't forget I'm carrying a shotgun."

"You won't shoot me."

"We'll see."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Adam stood before Jason, blood-covered and exhausted. He didn't know what else to do. He had smacked Jason so many times and so hard with his baseball that it had literally shattered into splinters. Yet, Jason walked at him as if nothing had happened.

Out of options, he turned and fled. Unfortunately, his baseball career against Jason hadn't left him unscathed. Jason had gotten plenty of swipes off with that huge machete that he wielded. One in particular was on Adam's knee, and was hindering his ability to run majorly.

Jason marched behind Adam as he hobbled away much too slowly to actually believe he was going to get free of Jason's murderous gaze. He felt like a chipmunk in the eyes of a barn cat. He wasn't dead yet, but that was just because the cat wasn't done having fun. He'd let him run to and fro, but only because he knew that there was no way Adam could escape.

He moved himself as quickly as he could through the muddy forest, but he knew Jason was right behind him. He could feel the heavy footsteps closing the gap between him and the killer. Without even looking back, he could feel Jason's hand reaching out to grab him. Fortunately for Adam, he wasn't wearing his shirt or jacket anymore. Jason's hand attempted to grasp onto his flesh, but he was so wet from the rain that he simply slipped out.

However, Adam knew that didn't mean he'd escape. There was nowhere for him to run and Jason apparently never tired of the chase. Mustering all he had left in him, he sped up a bit, grabbing a large stick he had seen on the ground before him. Adam quickly turned and smacked Jason as hard as he could. Jason flinched from the impact, but otherwise seemed fine. He reached out again, and this time grabbed Adam by his large throat.

"I'm not dying like this, you bastard!" Adam choked the words out as Jason's grip threatened to asphyxiate him. Adam's muscles bulged as he tried his hardest to free himself from his enemy's python-strong grip. He couldn't die here. He had to be there for his big brother. If he wasn't there to protect Dillan from the world, who would? Desperate to stay alive, Adam reached into his back pocket and found his pocket knife. He quickly flipped it open, exposing the over-sized blade, and rammed it as deep as he could into Jason's throat. He was pretty sure he had hit the jugular, but wasn't sure. He wasn't a doctor.

The knife did the trick. Jason dropped Adam to the ground and stumbled back. Adam grabbed the large stick off the ground again and turned to run away. The next thing he knew, his chin was smacking the muddy ground and pain shot through his leg. In his leg was Jason's machete. He had thrown it just like the knives he had hit Deborah and Vanessa with, only this thing was so much bigger. It had gone straight through his leg. He couldn't get back up.

Adam tried his best to crawl away, but it was to no avail. Jason casually approached him and grabbed onto his injured leg. Adam let out a pained scream. Jason pulled him across the woods back toward the boat. "Let go of me, you freak!" Adam hollered, but it was as if Jason didn't hear a word. He didn't even react in the slightest to the cry.

It wasn't even a few minutes before Adam's eyes caught sight of something that just about broke his heart. The red gas canister. He was right back where he had started. He had accomplished nothing. Jason stopped and flipped him over onto his bare back. The killer yanked the machete carelessly out of the young man's leg, blood spilling out behind it, and raised it high into the sky. Adam watched the machete above him like the grim reaper just waiting for the moment to strike. "Tiffany... Deborah..." He whispered to no one in particular. "Dillan... I'm so sorry." The machete fell from the sky heavily onto Adam's face, splitting it in half, ending the young man's life immediately.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Tiffany hated leaving Deborah behind all alone, but they both needed that gas. She just hoped she was running in the right direction. The rain was so heavy it was hard to see. She pulled the over-sized flannel shirt tighter around her. It made her think of Kenny. Her friend. Then her mind wandered to Vanessa. She was going to miss her. As she ran, a strange smile spread across her face. She was worried that she was losing her mind a little bit. No one would be smiling in this situation. But she was. She was so thankful for all that Vanessa had done for her. Not only did she die to save her, but even now, even after she was gone, she was helping. Tiffany kept running knowing that the only reason she had the stamina to run as far and as hard as she had been was because Vanessa had forced her to do all that track training with her.

She reached the gas canister, but instead of relief washing over her, horror did. Right next to the gas canister was the mangled corpse of who she assumed was Adam. It was hard to tell because his face was missing, plus the man was shirtless. She had never seen Adam without his signature leather jacket, but given the size of the man and the fact that he wasn't hairier than a bear, she figured it had to be Adam. "Oh my gosh." She said under her breath. She felt like her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest. It was beating so hard, it actually kind of hurt. "He's dead." She said as she closed her eyes tightly. She shook her body out, trying to force herself to refocus. "He's dead, but you're not. And Debbie needs you." Tiffany motivated herself. "Get your sexy ass moving, girl." She laughed sadly to herself. That's what Vanessa would have told her.

Determined to make all their deaths matter, she grabbed the gas canister and ran back to the boat. Her eyes were freaking out, scanning for Jason left and right, but she never saw him. The trip to the boat was surprisingly uneventful. Deborah was right where she had left her, clutching her ankle, and sitting on the dock by the boat. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" The fix-it girl insisted as she waved her hand in a 'come here' gesture, as if she was guiding pedestrians across a busy street.

"Okay." Tiffany, foregoing catching her breath, said, "Where the hell do I put gas into a boat?"

"It's easy." Deborah assured her. "You see the motor in the back?" Tiffany nodded. "Good. On the top of the motor there should be a black plug with a red ring around it." She explained. "Red is the proper color indicator for fuel. Do you see it?"

"Right here, right?" Tiffany asked pointing toward the top of the boat. Deborah couldn't see from where she was sitting, and she was too weak to stand. Her leg hurt too much from the broken angle and the knife wound, and she had lost too much blood. She needed to conserve her energy until she could get medical treatment.

"Yeah." Deborah answered, hoping that Tiffany was smart enough to figure it out. "Now pull the plug out and pour the gas in." She gave Tiffany her signature thumbs-up. Tiffany nodded her head and gave her a thumbs-up back. "Easy as pie."

"I don't know how to make a pie."

"Neither do I." They both laughed nervously. They sat in silence as Tiffany poured the gas slowly into the motor, being careful not to spill it. As the gas slowly made its way into the motor, Deborah screamed. "Tiffany, hurry!"

Tiffany looked over her shoulder. Jason was walking slowly down the dock. "What do I do?" Tiffany panicked.

"Pour the gas." Deborah instructed. "I'll distract him." She grimaced. So much for conserving her energy.

"Deborah." Tiffany hollered. "There's a flare gun in my waistband. Grab it!"

Deborah didn't need to be told twice. She reached for the gun, got it, and collapsed back onto her rear. "Get back!" She screamed at the killer. "I'll shoot!"

"Just shoot!" Tiffany screamed. Again, Deborah didn't need to be told twice. She pulled the trigger, which took more pressure than she expected, and launched the flare straight at Jason. He went as stiff as a board and collapsed onto his back. Deborah watched nervously as he laid on the ground, appearing in every way, dead. But she knew better. Evil never died.

"Got it!" Tiffany hollered. "Come on." Tiffany squatted low to help Deborah onto the boat. She helped her through the pain as she stood. Deborah watched as Jason began standing up as well. It was a race for survival.

"We gotta' hurry!" Deborah insisted as Tiffany tried lifting her carefully. "Just throw me in." Tiffany followed instructions and chucked Deborah into the boat. She hit the boat floor gracelessly, scraping her chin, but she was at least in the boat.

Tiffany hopped in behind her, taking the driver's seat. "You gotta' pull the string to start the motor. Like a lawnmower." Deborah explained.

"Gotcha'." Tiffany did as she was told. As Jason approached the boat, Deborah flung the flare gun at his face, but it didn't even phase him. The clear sound of the motor coming to life roared over the rain. "Hold on!"

"Go!" Deborah screamed. The boat began pulling away from the dock, but suddenly stopped. She looked back and saw Jason holding the boat back with one large hand. "He's got us!"

Tiffany looked back and saw the psychopath holding the boat back. "Let go!" She screamed at the top of her lungs before biting down on his disgusting hand as hard as she could. She could feel her teeth penetrating his skin and doing irreversible damage to his hand. Blood pooled in her mouth, but she didn't let go until finally Jason removed his hand from the boat.

Free, the girls took off onto Crystal Lake, out of the grasps of Jason. "What if he follows us?" Tiffany asked.

"He won't." Deborah said confidently as she watched Jason stare at them from the docks. Tiffany spit blood out of her mouth.

"How do you know?" Her teeth were stained red, like she was some horrible vampire.

"He's afraid of the water." She explained, readjusting her glasses onto her nose and properly placing herself on the boat's seat. She grimaced through the pain that shot through her as a result of each small movement. "He was drowned as a child. I remember reading about it. He's going to stay out of the water."

"I never thought I'd be so glad to hear that someone was drowned." Tiffany admitted. The talk of drowning did bring another thought to mind. Adam. He was dead. "Deborah." She started. Deborah gave her her undivided attention. "I need to tell you. When I went back to get the gas..." She trailed off. "Adam..."

"I know." Deborah said, keeping a firm face. She was not about to cry. Not now. They were escaping. They had done it. "He said that if Jason came for us, it was because he was dead." She explained. "So..."

"I know you liked him."

"We both lost people we cared about." Deborah said. "We'll just have to give them a proper remembrance when we're safe."

Tiffany nodded her head sincerely. "Yup. We can do it together."

"I'd like that." Deborah admitted through a smile.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"Chad!" echoed Kenny's voice through the night's rain. Chad heard his voice being called and stopped. He looked around. He knew it was Kenny and he had calmed down just enough to face him. Chad approached the old lodge in the center of the camp. It was used quite a bit by families that could afford to rent it for private use, but the camp had nothing to do with it. However, Chad had judged by the lack of cars around and the darkness inside, that the lodge was not being used at the moment. It wasn't a large lodge as one would find at a ski resort. It was just a two-story farm house, but given its quaint location in the woods, people enjoyed renting it for a weekend.

He stepped up onto the elevated and roofed porch and waited for his friend to catch up. It was just a few seconds before Kenny came running out of the woods, shirtless and soaked. Chad couldn't believe that he had left Tiffany to come look for him.

"Chad!" He hollered again, but this time relief filled his voice. "I'm so glad you're safe." Kenny ran up to his small friend and embraced him. He had been so worried that Chad was going to be found by Jason. He wasn't the quietest person on his best days, so Kenny figured an upset Chad was an even easier target to hear.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Chad said, his voice muffled as he spoke into Kenny's chest as it was being pressed tightly against his face. "Except that we've got no way outta' this camp."

Kenny pulled away a bit, his hands resting on each of Chad's shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean 'what do you mean?'?" Chad asked dumbfounded. "You just sent off those two girls on our only ticket out of this hell."

"They're going to send help." Kenny assured him. He truly believed that. He didn't know Deborah very well, but she seemed to be organized and trustworthy. She would send help. Tiffany, as much as he loved her, was a bit less collected. He rested more easily knowing that Deborah would be taking care of things.

"Right. That's assuming they actually make it across the lake." He shook his head with doubt. "And that we're still alive when the police come."

"I told you." Kenny beamed a smile, but his eyes were serious. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Kenny looked right into Chad's scared eyes. "Trust me."

"I do." Chad admitted. "Sorry. I just don't want to die."

"No one does." Kenny explained. "But you're not going to. I'll make sure of that." Silence fell over them as they both simply enjoyed the friendship that they had discovered in one another. Kenny enjoyed the spunky attitude Chad brought and Chad liked the calming feeling that Kenny gave to him. They meshed well.

Finally, Chad broke the comfortable silence. "Where's your shirt?"

Kenny laughed out loud, genuinely, for the first time all night. "I thought I'd be all romantic with Tiffany, so I gave it to her."

"Why? To keep her dry?" Chad asked, gesturing out to the pouring rain.

Kenny shrugged with another laugh. "I don't know. Just to help her cover herself. Her clothes were so wet you could see her bra."

"Dude, she's a slut." Chad explained as if it was just a fact found in a textbook. "She'd probably prefer her clothes like that it if was at all socially acceptable."

"Well, then maybe she's just enjoying wearing my clothes. She did take it with her, after all."

"Yeah, because giant, lumberjack flannel seems to really be her style."

"Shut up. She has it, I don't."

"You just wanted her to check you out." Chad accused with a smirk. Kenny blushed. It certainly wasn't the point of giving his shirt to her, but the thought had crossed his mind. He wanted to beat Brandon in her eyes, and he figured, though he wasn't stronger than the jock, he was bigger. He'd use that to his advantage whenever possible. Though, in hindsight, it all seemed so stupid and unimportant, as he stood with his friend worrying about whether or not a killer was coming after them at that moment or not.

"Come on." Kenny said, gesturing with his hand toward the lodge's front door. "Let's get inside." Chad silently concurred and they headed down the wrap-around porch to the front door. When Chad tried to open the door, it was locked.

"Crap." Chad said. "I was really hoping to get a little dried off."

Kenny chuckled. "It wouldn't last. The storm shows no signs of lifting." Despite those words, Kenny rammed his bare elbow through the front door's window, shattering the glass inward. He then reached his large hand in and flipped the lock, opening the way for Chad.

Together, they entered the lodge. "I guess we should look for anything useful, right?" Chad asked.

"Sounds good to me." Kenny agreed. Leaving the lights off, and using their flashlights, they began searching the two-story house. Chad immediately headed to the bathroom in search of dry towels.

"Catch." He yelled, stepping back out of the bathroom and tossing a wadded-up bath towel to Kenny, who was just beginning to walk up the spiraling staircase in the center of the large living room. He caught it and began drying himself as he ascended to the second floor.

"Thanks." He said, tossing the used, soggy towel back at Chad, nailing him right in the face.

"Disgusting, man!" Chad complained. "That had your sweat and stuff on it."

"Deal with it." Kenny ignored him and searched the upstairs. He checked room after room and found nothing. All the drawers were empty, as well as the closets, bathrooms, and desks. Whoever cleaned the lodge after families rented it and left, did a very thorough job. "Anything?" He hollered back to Chad as he returned downstairs.

"Not really." Chad walked out of the kitchen. "It's totally cleaned out. There is some stuff in the kitchen, though. It looks like the only rooms stocked for the guests are the bathrooms and kitchen."

Kenny made his way passed Chad and checked out the kitchen. It was pretty sparse, but there were some pots and pans. He checked the drawers for knives or scissors. No luck. "Who doesn't keep knives in their kitchen?" He complained.

Chad's voice came from the other room. "I don't know. That was the first thing I checked for in there and couldn't find any."

"This sucks." Kenny laughed humorlessly. He grabbed a frying pan and headed back out of the kitchen. "I guess I'll be using this." He held it up in the air and waved it around a bit.

"That doesn't instill too much comfort, to be honest."

"You're telling me?" Kenny asked, noticing that Chad wasn't carrying anything to defend himself. He didn't say anything, but he figured that was because even Chad knew that in any fight or flight decision, he's pretty much a guaranteed flight. Though, Kenny had to remember, he was the only one to stick around long enough to get Deborah away from the boat after her ankle was snapped.

"What now?" Chad asked, sitting down on the antique couch in the living room. Kenny headed over and sat down next to him, placing his large arms along the head of the couch in both directions. Chad rested his head on Kenny's arm and sighed. "We're so screwed."

"No." Kenny said without looking at his friend, but opting to take a moment to relax as well. "We're getting out of here. I promised you nothing would happen to you. I meant that."

"I know." Chad said without a hint of doubt. "But some things are out of your control."

"Maybe." Kenny said, and then with faux-bravado, added, "But I'm a big guy. I control what I want."

Chad laughed lightly at the comment. "I hope you're right."

"I am."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

A.J. was growing tired of sitting in one place all night. Her body was stiff and begging to be stretched out. Her mouth was dry, stomach was empty, and eyes were begging to get some sleep. Her senses were slowly fading away as her body began giving into the sweet call of slumber.

Before she knew it, she was snoozing. Despite the threat of Jason Voorhees hunting her. Despite the loud downfall of the rain and the thunder. Despite the guilt of ignoring the other counselors' cries for help. Despite all that was happening, she still couldn't resist the need for sleep.

If she had just stayed awake, she would have heard the loud footsteps of someone approaching from above the ledge she was nestled under. If she had stayed awake she could have done something to prepare for what was going to happen next. If she had just stayed awake, she would have noticed the footsteps stop just above her.

But she hadn't stayed awake. Despite her determination, she had fallen asleep. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. As she dreamed of all the places she wanted to be other than Camp Crystal Lake, a heavy figure stood still directly above her.

With the precision of an executioner, a machete swung down from above the ledge A.J. was hiding under and struck her right in the head. She didn't feel a thing. She had slept through the entire ordeal, and she would never wake again. One could consider her fortunate she didn't have to endure the suffering the others had to, but at the end of the day, one would still know that she's dead. And dead is dead, pain or no.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

The walk was a nervous and long one, but the guys had made it. At the top of the small hill in front of them was an old, but still in good condition, car. It was blue and very plain, but that was fine. They didn't need a fancy ride. They just needed a ride.

J.R. was so excited he literally broke all the stereotypes his high school classmates attributed to him and jumped up in celebration, and then sprinted to the car. It was a reaction that caused Bugsy to actually laugh out loud. "You're such a loser." He insulted his pudgy friend.

"Whatever. We can actually get away." J.R. cheered. "You and me. We made it!"

"Let's just get this thing fixed, alright?" Bugsy said, dropping the car parts in front of the car. "You can fix this right?"

"Of course." J.R. affirmed as he grabbed the battery off the ground. "Can you lift the hood?" Bugsy sighed, but obliged. He lifted it up and let J.R. do his work. "Can you get the gas in?"

"Sure." Bugsy grabbed the canister and took it back to the tank. It was an easy job, and since the canister was so small, took almost no time at all. "Do you think this little gas will actually get us out of here?"

"Oh, yeah." J.R. answered. "The most gas will be spent getting the car to actually get started and accelerating from the stopped position. After that, very little fuel is consumsed."

"A simple 'yes' would have been enough." Bugsy whined. "Let's just get out of here." He got into the driver's seat and looked around for the keys. They weren't hard to locate. They hung from the vanity mirror above the driver's position. "Got the keys." He announced as he looked through the windshield.

Bugsy watched from his seat as J.R. slammed the hood down. "Oh, shit!" He screamed. "J.R., run!" He hollered. Behind the geek was the large killer, Jason Voorhees. The image was terrifying. J.R. was at least six feet tall, which next to Bugsy, was a significant height, but even so, Jason stood heads taller than him.

J.R. knew exactly what was going on and sprinted around toward the driver's seat, slipping straight onto the ground as he tried.

"Crap!" Bugsy shouted as he jumped out of the car, ready to help his buddy. J.R. was no idiot, though. He quickly rolled onto his back, the shotgun ready. _BOOM!_ The sound was deafening and echoed across the entire forest. It was a direct hit! Jason fell backward onto the ground like a rag doll. "Oh my gosh. You got him!" Bugsy cheered as he ran over to help J.R. up off the muddy ground.

"Is he dead?" J.R. asked.

"No one could survive that."

"I just have a bad feeling about this."

"I gotta' see under his mask." Bugsy said.

"No, man. Let's just get outta' here." J.R. insisted, but the jock was already on his way over to the killer. "I'm starting the car."

"Yeah, yeah." Bugsy said, reaching for the mask with the end of his lead pipe, hoping to peel the mask off without actually touching him with his hands. "I'll be right there."

J.R. turned the key and listened as the car tried to start, but it was having quite a bit of difficulty. "Come on, come on, come on." He begged the blue machine, as if it could listen. He tried the key again. It was trying. He kept trying the key. "It's not starting." He said.

"Keep trying." Bugsy said as he turned back toward J.R. to get in the passenger's seat.

"What about the mask?"

"I don't got the guts." Bugsy laughed. "Even dead, it feels like he'd still kill me if I touched his mask."

He tried the key again. It still wouldn't start, but it sounded so close. He just needed a little bit of luck and it would be running. He tried again.

"Oh shit!" Bugsy yelled as J.R.'s attention was fully on the key. Jason was standing right outside of the driver's window, his big hand reaching into the open window to grab the nerd.

J.R. screamed the moment Jason's hand made contact. "Keep turning the key!" Bugsy screamed as he bolted from the passenger's door around the car. He tackled Jason to the ground just like he would his rivals in a good game. Jason went down hard, but Bugsy knew he'd be fine. Hell, he'd just endured a shotgun blast from point-blank to the face. Nothing was going to stop this monster.

The car finally roared to life. "Come on!" J.R. screamed. Bugsy tried to get up and run to the door, but Jason had him by the leg. He pulled Bugsy farther away from the car as he stood up to his menacing size. He turned right back toward the driver's seat and reached out for J.R. again.

"Floor it!" Bugsy screamed. J.R. panicked and did exactly what he was told. The car peeled off, spitting mud everywhere. J.R.'s eyes were huge with fear as he tried to navigate the car through the slippery paths of Camp Crystal Lake. One of the roads had to lead to the exit, he just had to find it.

A few seconds went by and he smiled. "We did it." He just about laughed as he looked over to his new friend. "Bugsy?" The passenger's seat was empty. He checked the back. It was empty too. Bugsy wasn't with him. "Shit." He slammed his hand down hard on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry, man."

Bugsy stood facing Jason. Jason stood facing Bugsy. It felt like a classic western movie, but only one of the stand-off participants wore a confident face. The other looked like he was about the crap his pants he was so scared. Unfortunately for Brandon, Jason wasn't the scared one.

"Come and get me, freak!" Bugsy hollered. He looked over Jason's shoulder to make sure the car wasn't coming back. He smiled a sad smile. It wasn't. J.R. was going to make it. He watched as the car turned and went out of sight. It was just him, Jason, and the pouring rain now.

Jason took a sure step toward the jock, no fear at all in his motions. He had nothing to be afraid of. Bugsy could do nothing to him. Bugsy took a step back. Then another. With each step Jason took forward, Bugsy took one back. Jason took another, but this time, Bugsy slipped, landing directly on his butt. He didn't bother getting up. It was over.

"Jason?" Bugsy said desperately. Jason froze. Bugsy was surprised. That meant that there was something alive behind that mask. It was like a rabid dog that still recognized its name. Just because it knew its name didn't mean that it was friendly or tame. "Can you at least make it quick?"

Jason said nothing. He approached Bugsy who had gotten himself into a kneeling position before the killer. Jason stopped right in front of him, leaving Bugsy looking way up at his mask-covered face from the ground. To Bugsy, it felt like Jason was standing there, un-moving, forever. Then, in the flash of lightning, Jason swung the machete clean through his neck, taking Bugsy's head clean off. It hit the mud with an audible _splash_ and Jason wasted no time in retreating into the night, ready to stalk his next victim.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Kenny and Chad relaxed a bit on the couch listening to the rain fall outside. It was a nice change to be dry for a while, but they both were pretty sure it wouldn't last. Staying in one place for too long was a good way to get found.

"You about ready to head out?" Kenny asked, looking down at his friend who was sitting next to him.

"Where do we go?"

Kenny shrugged. "Anywhere but here. I would assume Jason's checking all the cabins. If we stay here too long, it's only a matter of time before he checks this one."

"Yeah, yeah." Chad sighed as he looked depressingly out the window. "But I don't really want to get soaked again."

"It beats getting killed."

"Well, duh." Chad said without a hint of humor. "I wonder what time it is. I'm getting tired."

"You and me both." Kenny agreed. "We've been up all night. Once this is over, we're just going to collapse."

"Yeah, but I hope we wake up again." Chad joked morbidly. Kenny didn't laugh.

"Me too."

Kenny stood up and grabbed the frying pan. It was the best he had as far as a weapon was concerned. Chad remained seated, intending to milk their break for as long as possible. Kenny thought he seemed a lot like a teenager being woken up for school. He'd wait till the last possible second before actually getting up.

As Kenny stretched his legs out walking around the first floor of the lodge, he noticed something a bit alarming. "Hey, Chad!" He hollered.

"Yeah?"

"Did you leave the back door open?" Kenny asked watching the door very closely for any movement. It wasn't even five seconds before Chad came sprinting in, glued to Kenny's back like he was some human shield.

"I never even opened the back door." He answered. "Wouldn't it be locked?"

Kenny looked at the door more closely. "Apparently, it was. But someone broke the lock."

"How?"

"And without us hearing it." Kenny added, surprised by the stealth of whoever it was. He was pretty sure he knew who it was, but didn't want to speak it. Spoken fears could come true.

"Okay. I'm ready to go back out to the rain now." Chad added with a nervous chuckle.

"Me too."

They both turned and headed back toward the front door, afraid of what was waiting for them beyond the back one. Their eyes were insane with movement as they tried to spot anything out of place in the darkness of the lodge. Nothing stuck out to either of them.

They both crept as quietly as possible, which they were lucky for. Chad heard just the slightest sound of a footstep right behind him and shouted. "Run! Run!" They both took off out the front door as quickly as they could, Jason's machete just barely missing Chad's back.

Chad looked back and saw Jason running toward them. It was horrifying. The large killer wasn't super fast, but it didn't matter. He was deadly enough at a walk. No one needed him running! "What do we do?" He cried to Kenny.

Kenny took in the surroundings as quickly as possible. There really was no escape. There was no where for them to hide or get away from Jason. It was just them and the lodge's yard. "I don't know." Kenny answered.

Jason came within range of them and Chad jumped behind Kenny, screaming his name. "Kenny!"

Kenny turned, shielding his smaller friend and swinging the frying pan as hard as he could. He felt like the force had enough speed and power behind it to literally kill someone, but the collision with Jason's skull left the killer just a bit dazed. Nothing more.

Chad cowered behind his towering friend with no weapon to call his own. Kenny allowed himself to be used as a shield and prepared for Jason's next move. Fortunately, Jason wasn't much for elaborate plans. He came out of his daze and refocused onto his targets, nothing complicated in his mind, just plain, simple murder.

Jason charged Kenny like a freight train and knocked him hard to the floor. Chad stumbled back as Kenny's weight rammed into him, but managed to stay on his feet. Jason's attention shifted to him and he grabbed Chad by both sides of his head. Chad screamed as he felt Jason's grip tightening and pressure being pressed inwardly by both of his muscular arms. He was going to crush his skull!

Chad squirmed, trying to free himself, but Jason's grip was too powerful. The pain forced Chad down to his knees, finally truly dirtying his nice outfit with mud, and he looked up at his killer.

Kenny rose to his feet as swiftly as a ninja and ran behind Jason, grabbing him from behind, under his arms. With all his might he forced Jason's hands free from Chad's head and fell backward with a strong lock on Jason, bringing him down on top of himself.

Suddenly, a car's headlights shone on them and a weak-sounding horn sang into the air. The car was plain and blue, but to Chad it looked magnificent. A voice called out to them from within. "Hurry! Get in!"

"Kenny!" Chad yelled. "Come on!" He looked back to see Kenny holding Jason down on top of himself. Chad didn't know what to do. How could he help?

"Just go!" Kenny shouted from under the masked murderer. "I'll be fine."

"But-" Chad started, but was immediately cut off by Kenny's authoritative voice.

"GO!"

Chad didn't need to be told again. When Kenny sounded like that he just listened. He sprinted to the parked car and hopped in the passenger's seat. He was greeted by J.R. "What about him?" The geek asked.

"He said to go. He'll be fine." Chad informed him, knowing that Kenny was lying. He wasn't going to be fine. J.R. didn't question it. He was too eager to get out of the horrible camp. He floored the car into motion, swerving through the yard and back onto the muddy roads.

Kenny watched over the shoulder of the large man on top of him as the car with his friend in it sped back onto the road and toward the exit of Camp Crystal Lake. "Thank God." He said to himself. "You lost, Jason." He mocked the trapped killer. "So screw you."

Jason elbowed Kenny right in the nose, likely breaking it, and freed himself. He rose to his feet swiftly and turned back to the large half-naked man lying on the ground before him. The young man continued to taunt him. "You couldn't even kill a group of high schoolers." He laughed. "So screw you, man."

The killer didn't respond in any way. He just watched the young man place a large hand on his chest and smile. "They got away." His smile reddened as blood from his freshly broken nose ran into his white teeth. Jason approached the big man and placed a mud-covered boot directly onto his face. The muffled voice of the counselor they all called Kenny spoke through the sole of his boot. "Do it, you freak. I'm content." He laughed some more. "They got away. You've lost." Jason obliged the young man and pressed his foot down as forcefully as he could, crushing the man's skull under his heel. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter leaked into the rain covered, muddy yard of Camp Crystal Lake's rental lodge. He was the last one left. Despite Jason's best efforts, he couldn't deny that to some extent, the shirtless man was right. He had lost. Some had gotten away. What would mother say?


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

The boat trip across the lake wasn't a short one, but they had made it, thanks to Deborah's keen sense of direction. She must have studied maps or something, because much to Tiffany's surprise, she seemed to know exactly where they were going at all times.

However, despite the girl's keen sense of direction, nothing else about the girl was too good. She looked like she was dead in her seat. Tiffany knew she wasn't, but she was so pale, and she was limp. The pain from her leg must have been excruciating. Tiffany knew it was wrong to think in such a way, but she was glad it had happened to Deborah and not her. Not because she didn't like Deborah. Just because she wasn't sure she would have been able to endure it as well as she was.

Tiffany pulled the boat up to the beach on the edge of town that she was more than familiar with. She had come here many times before to get ice cream and sit with whichever boy she was toying around with at the time. "Stay here." She instructed Deborah. You're safe now. I just gotta' go to the ice cream parlor and use the phone." Deborah gave an unintelligible moan in response, which gave a rush of relief to Tiffany. Sure, she was out of it, but at least she was alive.

Leaving Deborah at the boat, she bolted up the beach to where the ice cream joint was just a short ways away. Obviously, the place was closed, but nothing was going to stop Tiffany now. Using her elbow, she bashed the back door's window open and climbed in. It didn't take her long to locate the phone and she made the call. 9-1-1.

She explained the situation and was assured that police and paramedics were on their way to both Camp Crystal Lake and Scoops, the ice cream joint she was out. Satisfied that the police understood, to some degree,the situation, she ran back to the boat.

It had floated out from the beach a bit, but Tiffany didn't hesitate to jump in and pull it back to the beach. Deborah looked exhausted and in some serious need of medical attention. "Don't worry. Help is on the way." She gave Deborah a reassuring thumbs-ups. She didn't think Deborah had even seen it, that was, until Deborah gave her back a weak, but unmistakable thumbs-ups. Tiffany smiled at her friend and cried a bit. She was so happy they were safe, but she was so sad that not everyone had made it.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

J.R. and Chad sped down the solitary road that connected Camp Crystal Lake to the rest of civilization. The rain was still pouring down, and J.R. knew that he should slow down for their own safety. It would have sucked to survive the entire Jason fiasco just to die in a self-inflicted car crash, but he didn't. He sped and sped. The farther he could get them away from that horrible camp and the freaky masked killer, the better.

"I'm sorry about Kenny." J.R. said, trying to be sensitive to Chad's losses, even though he wasn't really a fan of Chad.

Chad sniffled. He had been crying quietly since he'd gotten into the car. "It's strange." He started. "We've known each other for years. He and Deborah were the only two classmates to come to my dad's funeral. We've been in classes together and we've done camp together." He laughed humorlessly. "Despite all that, we were never really friends. We had all that time and never took advantage of it. Now, this year, we actually became very good friends. I'm not really sure how or why, but we did, and now he's gone." Chad fell silent for a moment. "Life's a bitch."

J.R. nodded his affirmation. "I know it. I would have never guess that me and Brandon would have ever been able to work together." He looked over at his passenger to make sure he was holding it together alright. "But this night, we didn't just work together. I actually enjoyed the time with him. I mean, not the entire night, and we certainly weren't best friends, but I actually enjoyed his company."

"Funny how things work out."

"I guess that's one way to look at it." J.R. said plainly. "I wouldn't call it funny, though."

"What would you call it?" Chad asked, sounding only mildly interested in any of their conversation.

"Shitty."

Chad laughed a bit. "Yup." He sighed and looked out the window at the dark trees passing by. "By the way..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for picking me up." Chad said with honest gratitude. "It would have been so easy, and probably safer for you to just drive off, but you didn't. You came and got me."

"I've never liked you, Chad." J.R. admitted, a bit ashamed of it as he spoke it out loud. "But I couldn't just let you die." J.R. looked at him to judge how he'd handled that bit of information, but he seemed fine. He doubted it was anything new to Chad to hear that people didn't like him. J.R. decided it was probably a good time to change the topic. "Do you think anyone else got away?"

"They did." Chad answered. "Tiffany and Deborah. They got away on the boat."

"I thought it was broken." J.R. said, though it sounded more like a question.

"Deborah fixed it."

"So she really could fix things." J.R. smirked. She was a girl he now respected. "Not everyday you see a girl who can fix a boat."

Chad shrugged. "I guess..."

They fell silent for a few minutes before they both noticed the unmistakable red and blue flashing lights of police ahead. Driving toward them was a long line of police cars. As they passed by, J.R. noticed the rear police car do a U-Turn and follow them. He pulled over and waited for the cop to approach.

"You two okay?" The cop asked. "There was a call that there was a serial killer in the parts." The two counselors looked at each other, and then told the cop everything.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Deborah woke up in a hospital bed. As she looked around the room, she noticed she was entirely alone. No doctors. No nurses. No family. No friends. No Tiffany. She laughed lightly and spoke aloud to no one but herself. "Stupid. Why would she be here? It's not like you're friends. So you spent a few nights at camp together. So what?"

As she sat and tried to decompress from all that she had been through, she started to cry. She couldn't get Kenny out of her mind. What had happened to him after he left to get Chad? But the real tears started to run as she thought of Vanessa and Adam. They had given their lives for her. She could never repay them for that. And what would she tell their parents?

Her thoughts were interrupted, which she was a bit thankful for. The door opened and in stepped her mom and dad who both ran over to her bed with tears and smiles, and hugged her gently. "We're so glad you're okay!" Her mom cried.

"We heard what happened." Her dad added. "We're so happy you're okay." He echoed his wife's words.

"Am I going to be okay?" Deborah asked her parents.

They both nodded, but her father spoke. "Yes. The doctor said your ankle is crushed and will require quite a bit of surgery." He took his daughter's hand. "He said that you'll be able to walk again if the surgeries are successful. But, he also said that you'd always have to take it easy. No running. No aerobics. Nothing like that." Deborah let the news sink in. She wasn't really a runner or anything, but the idea of never even having the option was a bit saddening to her.

She forced herself to shrug and smile. "Oh well." She began. "After what I just went through, I'm just happy to be alive."

"We know you've been through a lot, and we'll never force you to talk about it. But, know that we are here if you ever want to." Her mother comforted her.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Her dad asked.

"I'm hungry." She laughed.

"You got it." Her dad said, springing out of the room to get his little girl a decent meal.

"And..." She said quietly to her mom. "I lost several good friends tonight." Her eyes began to tear up again, which her mother noticed immediately and gently embraced her. "Can you please make sure that..." She trailed off. "That those of us who survived can have a proper service for them all?" She cried aloud in her mother's arms.

"Oh, honey..." Her mother kissed her on the forehead. "Don't you worry about that right now."

"Please, mom." She spoke quietly again. "Some of them died just to save my life. They gave up their lives specifically for me to live." She couldn't hold back her tears. "I have to say good-bye to them and thank their families."

Her mother, clearly floored by the news that her daughter was only alive because of someone else's child's sacrifice, took a deep breath. "I'll make sure." She promised her daughter.

Her father entered the room again with a bag of food from the hospital's cafeteria and a smile on his face. "Someone's here to see you." He announced.

Behind him entered Tiffany with puffy eyes and a sad smile. Deborah gasped loudly. "Tiffany!" Her voice filled with relief and excitement. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Tiffany crossed the room with her arms already out in the air for a hug. Deborah embraced her more tightly than she had even her own parents. Nearly dying together built up a bond unlike she had ever had with anyone. "Mom, Dad..." She said looking at her parents over Tiffany's shoulder as they continued to hug. "I'm only alive because of this girl. She dragged me to the boat and got me here."

"You were the one who fixed the boat." Tiffany laughed off her own accomplishments, trying to remind Deborah that she was just as responsible for their escape. "And you were the one who shot him in the face."

Deborah's parents looked at each other dumbfounded. Fix a boat? Shot a man in the face? They looked at their daughter with shock. Her father finally came out of his stupor and turned to Tiffany. "Then I guess we owe you a sum of gratitude I don't think we can ever truly pay you. She's our everything."

Tiffany blushed and insisted that it was no big deal. Deborah's parents stepped back as they watched Deborah enjoy the company of someone that truly understood what she had gone through. They didn't feel neglected. They were just happy that their baby girl was still alive.

Deborah's mother gestured for her husband to step outside with her. Once she had latched the door closed as quietly as possible, she spoke to her husband. "We have some kids' parents to call, and it's not going to be easy." Her husband nodded in understanding.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Tiffany sat in Deborah's hospital room as her friend slept quietly in her bed. Deborah's parents had gone off to make some difficult phone calls to some heartbroken parents. Tiffany's parents had spoken to her on the phone and insisted she came home, but she told them she wanted to stay with Deborah, so they agreed to meet her at the hospital.

As she sat in silence, she flipped the T.V. on quietly and gazed at its bright screen. She checked her friend. Fortunately, she hadn't woken up to the new stimulant in the room. Flipping the channel over to the local news, she watched the story that she had just escaped unfold before her again.

On T.V. was J.R. talking about their entire ordeal at Camp Crystal Lake. He looked messy and exhausted, but reporters never seemed to care. They needed the story. She also caught an interview with Chad. Both of them looked like they needed a shower and some sleep.

A reporter spoke about the history of Camp Crystal Lake, making mention of the murders in the past by the same Jason Voorhees. She stood in front of the dark entrance of the camp and Tiffany crossed her fingers, hoping that Jason was long gone. The last thing she wanted was for that pyscho to add another body to his list.

As she watched the news, her thoughts drifted to Vanessa. Her best friend had died so that she could live. It was tough to bear. It almost made her feel guilty. And on top of that, where could anyone ever find a friend as good as Vanessa? Where else could she find a friend willing to give their life to save her?

She didn't have to look far to find her answer. With a warm smile and heartbroken tears, she reached over and took Deborah's hand in her own. Certainly, she would never replace Vanessa. No, Vanessa was one of a kind. But she was a friend. A friend that Tiffany never thought she'd have, but she saw them going far together.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Chad stood under the hot water of his shower. The wonderful, clean, private shower of his own home. It was amazing. It had been days since the dreadful events of Camp Crystal Lake, but it all still felt so real. He hadn't told his mom, but he was having great difficulty sleeping. Every small noise in the room or outside sounded like Jason coming to get him.

Even when he did close his eyes, all he saw was Kenny with Jason on top of him. His imagination had no difficulty picturing how that ended. He was afraid he'd never be able to sleep well again.

He cried under the heat of the shower. Looking down at his own minuscule body, he couldn't help but think of Kenny. He was so opposite of him, but they meshed so well together. Now he was dead. He felt a bit strange for ever thinking this, but he wished he could go back to when he first had seen him at camp this year. He wished he could walk into that shower room and find Kenny there again. He wanted to have that casual conversation with his friend again. No other counselors to get in their way. No killer to occupy their minds. Just a wonderful new friendship waiting to be explored. But none of that would ever happen. He was dead.

With a turn of the nozzle, the shower died. Chad sighed as he stepped out of the shower and dried off. He looked at himself in the full-sized mirror. He looked good. He looked trim and fit, but not as fit as Kenny. "Dang..." He said to himself. "This is going to be so hard."

He pulled on his black suit and got ready for an event he never wanted to happen. Kenny's and the other counselors' funeral service. Due to Deborah's parents pulling everyone together, they had decided to have the funeral service all together, for the sake of the survivors. None of the surviving counselors could have lived with themselves if they had to miss one of the funerals, but they also couldn't bear the idea of attending six funerals in a week.

His mom drove him over to the funeral home and it was as bad as he knew it was going to be. His mom gave him a hug. "I'm right here, honey." He nodded and scanned the room. J.R. was standing on the far end of the room where some light refreshments were provided. He seemed very down.

He didn't see Deborah or Tiffany around, but he knew they'd be there. With a big sigh, he approached the caskets. They were all closed due to the horrible manners of which they died. The first one was A.J. They weren't close, and she was quite the loner, but she certainly didn't deserve to be butchered.

Next down the line was Rob. He was a nice guy. Chad was going to miss his smiling face at school. He had always been a guy that got along with everyone. He did a little of everything at school from sports, to drama, to academics. He was an all-around guy.

Jenny's casket was next across the room. Chad had always found her to be quite attractive, in a mature, well-put-together way. He had never really spoken a lot with him. In fact, he was pretty sure that Jenny didn't like him, but he didn't let that bother him. He had no ill-will toward the poor girl. She didn't deserve to be lying dead in this box of wood.

Brandon's was next, which Chad didn't linger long at. He never liked the jock, but at the moment, all the fighting and hatred seemed so far away. So trivial. While he wasn't the nicest guy to Chad, he never wanted him killed. He had the same feelings for Adam, who was next down the row. However, he knew that Deborah would be heartbroken.

Vanessa's followed. He hadn't gotten along with her either, but he had heard of the ways she had saved others' lives. He couldn't deny that she was amazing. He certainly hadn't the courage to do what she had done.

Finally, Chad froze at the largest of the caskets. He didn't want to make a scene at the funeral home, but he knew he was about to. He could feel it coming on. He placed a hand on the huge closed box and began to cry. He was going to miss him so much. There was nothing worse, in his opinion, that getting a taste of such an amazing brother, of such a wonderful friendship, and then having it so suddenly stolen away from him.

His crying morphed into full-on sobbing. He hated that everyone was looking at him, but he couldn't help himself. He hated death. Ever since his dad died, just the thought of someone dying pained him. Now it was rearing its ugly face into his personal life once again.

As he sobbed, he felt a couple hands rest on his shoulders. He looked through watery eyes and felt his heart break in his chest. Deborah was reaching up to him from a wheel chair. Her leg was in a cast, but still waiting for surgery. On his other side was Tiffany. She hated him, at least, that's what he thought, but here she was. They cried together and offered each other a comfort that no one else could. No one else knew what it was like. It wasn't long before even J.R. joined them. He was dressed up nicely and smelled fresh and clean. It was good. These guys deserved their best. They had all lost friends, but as Chad looked at the three young people mourning with him, he realized that they had made new ones. He wasn't sure they'd ever be friends that go out to the mall together and spend all their free time together, but they were friends. They had gone through something so traumatic together that it had forged an unexplainable and unbreakable bond, and they all knew it. Their lives would never be the same again.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Deborah wheeled herself down the halls of the busy school. She had had her surgeries and they were successful, but she was still in the healing process. She couldn't walk, at least, not yet. It was so strange. For the rest of the world, life just kept going, and they all expected her to just go along with it, but how could she? Her life was changed forever that Friday the 13th. Now, whenever she saw a blade, she thought of her monstrous killer. When she saw a flannel she thought of her dear Kenny. And when she saw a leather jacket, she couldn't help but think of her sweet Adam. No, life would never be the same again.

The bell rang and she found herself destined to be late to economics. There was no way she could wheel herself to class in time. As she struggled to move herself down the hall and hold her textbooks in her lap, she noticed her chair seemed to take off on its own. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Tiffany smiling at her, pushing her along. "Ready for this?" She asked.

Deborah smiled. "No." Tiffany nodded in understanding. "But I have to be. Life doesn't stop." Tiffany and Deborah went to the same class. They sat next to each other and even studied together after school sometimes. They had found a friendship that they never knew was going to exist. Life was certainly different. Tiffany never cheered at the football games anymore. It was too hard. She didn't attend any of the track meets either. But no one blamed her.

They didn't picked on J.R. anymore, but they didn't spend much time with him either. However, today, after school, they were going to. Chad had contacted them each and asked if he could drive them to the cemetery. The idea was both horrifying and very appealing to each of them, but of course they all agreed to it. While it was hard to think about them, none of them were quite ready to try to move on just yet. Though, in reality, Deborah knew that she would never get over it. Not just the deaths. But the entire ordeal as well.

"Hey." Deborah's friend Carrie whispered from behind her. "Wanna' chill after school?"

Deborah turned around as best as she could and whispered. "Can't. I have plans." She'd invite Carrie along to the cemetery, but this was almost a sacred thing. It was just for the four of them that had actually survived it all. "Are you free tomorrow?" She asked.

Carrie smiled. "You know I am. I'll come to your place."

"Great." Deborah said.

"Anything special you wanna' do? If you need, I can help you with homework or chores that you can't do because of..." She trailed off. "Because of the chair."

Deborah smiled. Carrie was truly a good and caring friend. She was so lucky to have her. "No." She answered. "I just wanna' do something normal." She turned back and looked at what the teacher was writing on the board and whispered very quietly to herself. "Normal would be good."


End file.
